The Advocate 10-23-2025

Lawmakers hoping for speedy special session

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

The way Republicans tell it, the special session that begins Thursday afternoon is not complicated and, ideally it won’t last very long.

“Everybody wants to just get in and get out,” said Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter, RPort Allen, who will be carrying legislation that is likely to be the sole focus at the Capitol “I think we’ll be done by Nov 1.” The plan? Push Louisiana’s new closed primary elections in April back one month and hold them in May instead, to buy time for a potential Supreme Court

BY TIMOTHY BOONE Staff writer

decision that could allow Louisiana to draw a new congressional election map.

The session will be “pretty straightforward,” said Rep. Beau Beaullieu, R-New Iberia, who is spearheading the effort in the House.

“We’re just looking to push the election dates back 30 days,” he said.

The plan may appear simple, but the reason for the change — and what could happen next is anything but.

The U.S. Supreme Court last week heard arguments in a major voting rights case stemming from Louisiana.

The justices’ eventual ruling could lead to major changes to the Voting Rights Act, a Civil Rights Movement era law

aimed at increasing Black political representation. It could also alter how race can be used as a factor when drawing voting maps.

Louisiana’s congressional map is the crux of the Supreme Court case. The state has four majority-White districts that elected White Republican representatives, and two majority-Black districts that elected Black Democrats. A group of White voters has asked the Supreme Court to declare the map unconstitutional, arguing that race should not be used as a factor to draw

U.S. puts more sanctions on Russia

BY SUSIE BLANN and FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press

WASHINGTON Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced new sanctions Wednesday against Russia’s two biggest oil companies and blasted Moscow’s refusal to end its “senseless war” as U.S.-led efforts to end the war floundered and the Ukrainian president sought more foreign military help. The sanctions against Rosneft and Lukoil, as well as dozens of subsidiaries, followed months of bipartisan pressure on President Donald Trump to hit Russia with harder sanctions on its oil industry “Now is the time to stop the killing and for an immediate ceasefire,” Bessent said in a statement. Given Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “refusal to end this senseless war, Treasury is sanctioning Russia’s two largest oil companies that fund the Kremlin’s war machine.” Bessent said the Treasury Department was prepared to take further action if necessary to support Trump’s effort to end the war. “We encourage our allies to join us in and adhere to these sanctions.”

Bessent made the comments as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte was in Washington for talks with Trump. The military alliance has been coordinating deliveries of weapons to Ukraine, many of

Two oil companies targeted over refusal to end ‘senseless war’ ä See SANCTIONS, page 4A

evacuate children after Russian drones hit a city kindergarten during an attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Wednesday.

CALEB KLEINPETER, R-Port Allen

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Louisiana lawmakers will return to the Capitol on Thursday for a special session.

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Hegseth changes policy on congressional contact

WASHINGTON Leaders at the Pentagon have significantly altered how military officials will speak with Congress after a pair of new memos issued last week

In an Oct. 15 memo, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his deputy, Steve Feinberg, ordered Pentagon officials including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — to obtain permission from the department’s main legislative affairs office before they have any communication with Capitol Hill.

The memo was issued the same day the vast majority of Pentagon reporters exited the building rather than agree to the Defense Department’s new restrictions on their work, and it appears to be part of a broader effort by Hegseth to exert tighter control over what the department communicates to the outside world.

According to the memo, a copy of which was authenticated by a Pentagon official, “unauthorized engagements with Congress by (Pentagon) personnel acting in their official capacity, no matter how well-intentioned, may undermine Department-wide priorities critical to achieving our legislative objectives.”

Sean Parnell, the top Pentagon spokesman, called the move a “pragmatic step” that’s part of an effort “to improve accuracy and responsiveness in communicating with the Congress to facilitate increased transparency.”

Previously, individual agencies and military branches within the Pentagon were able to manage their own communications with Congress

A second memo issued Oct. 17, directed a “working group to further define the guidance on legislative engagements.”

The memos were first reported by the website Breaking Defense.

U of Va. strikes deal to pause DOJ investigations

WASHINGTON The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday announced an agreement with the University of Virginia to pause Trump administration civil rights investigations

The Charlottesville campus became a target of President Donald Trump’s administration in April when the Justice Department began reviewing the university’s admissions and financial aid processes. Officials accused its president of failing to end diversity, equity and inclusion practices Trump has called unlawful.

The mounting pressure prompted James Ryan to announce his resignation as university president in June, saying the stakes were too high for others on campus if he opted to “fight the federal government in order to save my job.”

Under the agreement, the university will abide by department guidance for not engaging in “unlawful racial discrimination” and will provide relevant information and data to the department on a quarterly basis through 2028, the department said.

Scotland wants $35M for Trump, Vance visits

Scotland’s finance secretary is asking the United Kingdom for a $35 million reimbursement following visits from President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

Secretary Shona Robison said in a letter that Scotland incurred “substantial operational and financial burdens” that impacted public services as a result of those visits. That included the deployment of 4,000 total officers when Trump visited the country in July followed by Vance’s stay in August, according to the Independent.

Trump spent four days in Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire, where he owns golf courses Vance spent nearly the same amount of time in Ayrshire and golfed on the president’s greens at Trump Turnberry The visits reportedly cost roughly $26.7 million and $8 million, respectively

The U.K. said Trump and Vance’s visits didn’t constitute “UK Government business,” which puts Scotland on the hook for security expenses Scotland contends the visits were “diplomatically significant” and require compensation.

Order barring Guard in Ill. extended

BY JASON MEISNER Chicago Tribune (TNS)

CHICAGO A federal judge in Chicago on Wednesday indefinitely extended her restraining order barring President Donald Trump from deploying National Guard troops to Illinois as both sides await a U.S Supreme Court ruling that could upend the case.

At a status hearing before U.S. District Judge April Perry, lawyers for the Trump administration said they were asking to extend the restraining order, which technically expires Thursday, until there’s a final judgment on the merits of the case, which could take months.

But that extension comes with a caveat: The Supreme Court could decide any day to grant Trump’s request to stay Perry’s order, which would effectively allow the president to deploy troops as he pleases while the case is appealed.

Christopher Wells, a lawyer for the Illinois attorney general’s office, said his team agreed to the

indefinite extension, but wanted to make it clear on the record that it was Trump’s lawyers who proposed it, saying they were “very concerned about possible gamesmanship in other courts and how what’s happening here is going to be portrayed.”

In the event the Supreme Court ruling “alters the status quo,” Wells said, the state will be seeking either an expedited injunction hearing or a quick trial on the merits, either of which could happen as soon as next month and would involve live witnesses testifying in court.

Perry agreed and said her order extending the restraining order would be entered Thursday She also ordered both sides to confer within 10 days and come back with a plan for expedited discovery Department of Justice attorney Jody Lowenstein told the judge the same legal team defending this case has a trial over similar issues starting in Oregon next week, so any scheduling conflicts would

have to be worked out.

Perry’s temporary restraining order barring National Guard troop deployment in Illinois was issued Oct. 9.

In its filing last week asking the Supreme Court to issue a stay on Perry’s order, the Trump administration called it part of a “disturbing and recurring pattern” that “improperly impinges on the President’s authority and needlessly endangers federal personnel and property.”

It asked that Trump be allowed to deploy some 700 troops in Illinois 300 from the Illinois National Guard and another 400 federalized out of Texas earlier this month.

In the 46-page response the state said it would be inappropriate for the high court to get involved at this stage in the proceedings, where a district court’s decision has yet to be decided on appeal.

The filing also said lawyers for Trump offered “no meaningful response” to the factual basis for Perry’s Oct. 9 temporary restrain-

More than 40 killed when multiple vehicles collide

BY RODNEY MUHUMUZA Associated Press

KAMPALA, Uganda Two buses and two other vehicles crashed early Wednesday on a highway in western Uganda, killing at least 46 people, police said, in one of the worst motor accidents in the East African country in recent years.

Police initially gave the death toll as 63 in a statement sent to reporters, but later revised it to 46, saying in another statement that some people found unconscious at the crash scene were actually still alive.

“At the time of the crash, several victims were found unconscious, and some may have been mistakenly included in the initial fatality count,” the statement said.

Several others were injured in the crash that happened after midnight local time on the highway to Gulu, a major city in northern Uganda.

Two bus drivers going in opposite directions attempted to overtake other vehicles and collided near the town of Kiryandongo, according to police.

“In the process, both buses met headon during the overtaking maneuvers,” the police statement said.

Fatal road crashes are common in

Uganda and elsewhere in East Africa, where roads are often narrow Police usually blame such accidents on speeding drivers. In August, a bus carrying mourners back home from a funeral in southwestern Kenya overturned and plunged into a ditch, killing at least 25 people and injuring several others

The death toll in the latest crash in Uganda is uncommonly high, said Irene Nakasiita, a Red Cross spokeswoman who described victims left bleeding with broken limbs. She said the images from the scene were too gruesome to share.

“The magnitude of this incident is so big,” Nakasiita said.

While accident victims can expect to get help from onlookers and other first responders who rush to crash sites, “at night even bystanders are not there,” she said.

Most of the injured people are receiving treatment at a government hospital nearby

In Uganda, 5,144 people were killed in road crashes in 2024. That number rose from 4,806 in 2023 and 4,534 in 2022, according to official police figures, which show a worrisome rise in the total number of those killed or injured in road crashes in recent years.

Maine Senate candidate says tattoo with Nazi symbol has been covered

BY KIMBERLEE KRUESI and PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press

PORTLAND, Maine — His U.S. Senate campaign under fire, Maine Democrat Graham Platner said Wednesday that a tattoo on his chest has been covered to no longer reflect an image widely recognized as a Nazi symbol. The first-time political candidate said he got the skull and crossbones tattoo in 2007, when he was in his 20s and in the Marine Corps. It happened during a night of drinking while he was on leave in Croatia, he said, adding he was unaware until recently that the image has been associated with Nazi police. Platner, in an Associ-

ated Press interview, said that while his campaign initially said he would remove the tattoo, he chose to cover it up with another tattoo due to the limited options where he lives in rural Maine. “Going to a tattoo removal place is going to take a while,” he said “I wanted this thing off my body.”

The initial tattoo image resembled a specific symbol of Hitler’s paramilitary Schutzstaffel, or SS, which was responsible for the systematic murders of millions of Jews and others in Europe during World War II. Platner didn’t offer details about the new tattoo, but offered to send the AP a photo later Wednesday

The oyster farmer is

mounting a progressive campaign against Republican Susan Collins.

Platner said he had never been questioned about the tattoo’s connections to Nazi symbols in the 20 years he has had it.

Questions about the tattoo come after the recent discovery of Platner’s now-deleted online statements that included dismissing military sexual assaults, questioning Black patrons’ gratuity habits and criticizing police officers and rural Americans. Platner has apologized for those comments, saying they were made after he left the Army in 2012, when he was struggling with posttraumatic stress disorder and depression.

ing order, adding that declarations submitted by a series of immigration officials outlining purported violence against agents and outof-control protests simply did not hold water

“In fact, applicants do not even attempt to rebut that much of the activity the declarants complained about was constitutionally protected,” the state response stated.

The Supreme Court fight is playing out on an unusually fast track, with Trump appealing just a day after the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to grant a stay to Perry’s order, ruling her findings were not “clearly erroneous” and that “the facts do not justify” Trump’s actions in Illinois.

The three-judge appellate panel unanimously agreed with Perry that, even giving the president “great deference” when it comes to his power to call up the military, there was no evidence that he needed troops to help enforce immigration law or quell any kind of organized rebellion.

Report: N. Korea has stolen billions in cryptocurrency

BY DAVID KLEPPER Associated Press

WASHINGTON North Korean hackers have pilfered billions of dollars by breaking into cryptocurrency exchanges and creating fake identities to get remote tech jobs at foreign companies, according to an international report on North Korea’s cyber capabilities. Officials in Pyongyang orchestrated the clandestine work to finance research and development of nuclear arms, the authors of the 138-page report found. The review was published by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, a group that includes the U.S. and 10 allies and was set up last year to observe North Korea’s compliance with U.N. sanctions.

North Korea also has used cryptocurrency to launder money and make military purchases to evade international sanctions tied to its nuclear program, the report said. It detailed how hackers

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working for North Korea have targeted foreign businesses and organizations with malware designed to disrupt networks and steal sensitive data.

Unlike China, Russia and Iran, North Korea has focused much of its cyber capabilities to fund its government, using cyberattacks and fake workers to steal and defraud companies and organizations elsewhere in the world.

Aided in part by allies in Russia and China, North Korea’s cyber actions have “been directly linked to the destruction of physical computer equipment, endangerment of human lives, private citizens’ loss of assets and property, and funding for the DPRK’s unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs,” the report said.

Earlier this year, hackers linked to North Korea carried out one of the largest crypto heists ever, stealing $1.5 billion worth of ethereum from Bybit.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By HAKIIM WAMPAMBA Wreckage of a bus involved in a collision that left several people dead near Kiryandongo on the highway from the Ugandan capital of Kampala to the city of Gulu in northern Uganda is seen Wednesday.

GOPmoderates pressleaders on taxcredits

BY SANDHYARAMAN and JESSIE HELLMANN CQ-Roll Call (TNS)

WASHINGTON Thirteen moderate House Republicans are urging party leadership to find apath toward extending enhanced expiring health care tax credits once the government reopens.

“Let us be clear: significant reforms are needed to make these credits more fiscallyresponsible and ensure they are going to the Americans who need them most,” the Republican group wrote to Speaker MikeJohnson, R-Benton, on Tuesday.“Our Conferenceand President Trump have been clear that we will not take healthcare away from families who depend on it. This is our opportunity to demonstrate that commitment through action.”

The enhanced credits, which expire Dec. 31, are at the center of the government shutdown Democrats are demanding they be extended before they vote to reopenthe government, while Republicansare refusing to negotiate until the government reopens. Three weeks into the shutdown, both parties appear dug in Millions of Americans who rely on the marketplace insurance sub-

ASSOCIATED

SCOTT APPLEWHITE

Fromleft,Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark.; Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich.; Speaker of the House MikeJohnson, R-Benton; Rep.Michael Simpson, R-Idaho; andHouse MajorityLeader SteveScalise, R-Jefferson, hold a news conference Wednesdayatthe Capitol in Washington during Day22 of the governmentshutdown.

sidies live in red states, and their premiumsare set to skyrocket

Thetax credits were first enacted in the 2010 health care law

In 2021,the then-Democratic-

controlled Congress lifted income capsonthe tax credits andmade the financial assistance more generous. While many Republicans blame

that law forrising health insurance costs, othersare floating changes to the tax credits they say areneeded if they’re to agree to extend them. That includes reinstating income limits on thecredits, capping eligibility to current recipients, tacking on minimum premiums forall income levels and restricting marketplace plans from covering certain services.

Rep.Jen Kiggans, R-Va., one of theletter’ssignatories, haspositioned herselfasfinding amiddle ground on the issue and is the lead Republican on abill to extend the enhanced tax credits forone year without any changes to itsstructure.

Duringa town hallevent last week, Kiggans responded to a constituent question about what would happen after one year.She said that is still unclear

“I wish Ihad afull-fledged defined answer Icould give you. Idon’t have the actualplanin place,” Kiggans said in an audio recording reviewed by CQ Roll Call. “But Iknow that nothing here in Washington happens fast andthat this is avery complicated issue.”

“And if we don’tsit down and start talking about it, it’snot going to end well,”Kiggans continued. “And that’smymain source

of frustration. We can’tdonothing about these tax credits that expire at theend of December.Weneed to do something.”

Open enrollment begins Nov.1 for states that use the healthcare. gov marketplace. Insurers have saidthe enhanced tax creditscan still be extended after that date, although it would be moreofalift forthem

Vice President JD Vance and Johnsonhavebothsignaledthat Republicans have an alternate health plan.

“Wedohave aplan, actually,” Vance said on Newsmaxlastweek. Those plans have mostly revolved around health savings accounts association health plans andprice transparency

“We’ve gotpages andpages and pages of ideas on howtoreform health care. Youcan’trip Obamacare out at the roots. It’stoo deeply ingrainednow,” Johnson said last week on CNBC.

President Donald Trump, who hadlunchwithSenate Republicans at the White House Tuesday, showed no interest in negotiating withDemocrats about thehealth care tax credits until the shutdown is over.“We will not be extorted on this crazy plot of theirs,” Trump said.

BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE Staff writer

National Guard troops could be deployed to New Orleans before the end of November in keeping with Gov.Jeff Landry’srequest for federalintervention to address crime, Landry and New Orleans Police DepartmentSuperintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said. Landry hopes to have troops on the ground ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, he told WVUE television this week. Kirkpatrick said she expects troops to arrive in New Orleans ahead of the Bayou Classic football game, which will be held Nov.29atthe CaesarsSuperdome. The troops could remain in the city through

Mardi Gras, she said TuesdaytoCBS News. Aspokesperson for the NOPD did not respond to arequest forcommenton Wednesday.

Their commentsgave a clearer picture of what the proposed mobilization would look like in New Orleans, even as aspokespersonfor theNational Guard cautioned Wednesday that funding from the federalgovernment —which Landryrequested in September— has notbeen approved. “I think everyone’spreparing andplanning but we have no timelineonthe activation yet,” said Lt. Col.Noel Collins, of the LouisianaNational Guard Aspokesperson for Landry also said Wednesday

thatthe request —which would see 1,000 troops sent to cities across the state is still pending official approval. The governor could deploythe soldiers himself, butheneeds the Trumpadministration’ssignoff to get federal funding. The proposed mobilization comes as part of President Donald Trump’scontroversialpush to deploy theNational Guard in cities across the country to crack down on crime, immigration and protests. The administration has ordered troops to Chicago, Washington,Los Angeles and Portland in recent months, despite pushback by stateand local leaders. Landry has requested that thefederal government pay for 1,000 troops to be sent to

New Orleans andother cities across the state.

In his interview with WVUE lastweek,Landry gave aclearer picture of his goal for the deployment, singlingout the French Quarter as atarget.

“You would see National Guardtroops smiling, being able to help us secure theQuarter again, giving the New Orleans Police Department the relief thatthey need,” Landry told thetelevision station. He has also cited crime in Baton Rouge andShreveport, andhas said the National Guard’spresence could help make the Bayou Classic and Mardi Gras safer Kirkpatrick saidthe NOPD wouldseek to work collaboratively with the Na-

tional Guard. “I have onemissionand that missionistokeepthis city as safe as possible and Iwill workwith all of our federal partners,” KirkpatricktoldWVUE. Kirkpatrickmet with Louisiana National Guard officials this month ahead of thepossible deployment.“We’regoingto have National Guard, we’ve hadNationalGuard,we’ve always had avery good relationship with National Guard.”

But, according to CBS

News, Kirkpatricksaidshe didn’tbelieve troops should be deployed to NewOrleans outside of assisting with a major event.

“Weare peacemakers andsoldiers aretrainedto engage in enemycombat,” KirkpatricktoldCBS. “Our community is notour enemy,but they are here to help support us in law enforcement functions for specific results.”

Staff writer Meghan Friedmann contributed to this report.

them purchased from the United States by Canada and European countries.

The announcement came after Russian drones and missiles blasted sites across Ukraine, killing at least six people, including a woman and her two young daughters.

The attack came in waves from Tuesday night into Wednesday and targeted at least eight Ukrainian cities, as well as a village in the region of the capital, Kyiv where a strike set fire to a house in which the mother and her 6-month-old and 12-year-old daughters were staying, regional head Mykola Kalashnyk said.

At least 29 people, including five children, were wounded in Kyiv, which appeared to be the main target, authorities said.

Russian drones also hit a kindergarten in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, later Wednesday when children were in the building, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said One person was killed and six were hurt, but no children were physically harmed, he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said many of the children were in shock. He said the attack targeted 10 separate regions: Kyiv, Odesa, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk Kirovohrad, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, Cherkasy and Sumy

Russia fired 405 strike and decoy drones and 28 missiles, mainly targeting Kyiv, Ukraine’s air force said.

Trump’s efforts to end the war that started with Russia’s all-out invasion of its neighbor more than three years ago have failed to gain traction.

Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration with Putin’s refusal to budge from his conditions for a settlement after Ukraine offered a ceasefire and direct peace talks.

Trump said Tuesday that his plan for a swift meeting with Putin was on hold because he didn’t want it to be a “waste of time.” European leaders accused Putin of stalling. Zelenskyy said Wednesday that Trump’s proposal to freeze the conflict where it stands on the front line “was a good compromise” a step that could pave the way for negotiations.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the planned summit

requires careful preparation, suggesting that laying the groundwork could be protracted. “No one wants to waste time: neither President Trump nor President Putin,” he said In what appeared to be a public reminder of Russian atomic arsenals, Putin on Wednesday directed drills of the country’s strategic nuclear forces.

Zelenskyy urged the European Union, the United States and the Group of Seven industrialized nations to force Russia to the negotiating table Pressure can be applied on Moscow “only through sanctions, long-range (missile) capabilities and coordinated diplomacy among all our partners,” he said.

More international economic sanctions on Russia are likely to be discussed Thursday at an EU summit in Brussels. On Friday, a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing — a group of 35 countries that support Ukraine — is to take place in London

Zelenskyy credited Trump’s remarks that he was considering supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine for Putin’s willingness to meet. The American president later said he was wary of tapping into the U.S. supply of Tomahawks over concerns about available stocks.

Russia has not made significant progress on the battlefield, where a war of attrition has taken a high toll on Russian infantry and Ukraine is short of manpower, military analysts say Both sides have invested in longrange strike capabilities to hit rear areas.

The Ukrainian army’s general staff said its forces struck a chemical plant Tuesday night in Russia’s Bryansk region using Britishmade air-launched Storm Shadow missiles. The plant is an important part of the Russian military and industrial complex, producing gunpowder, explosives, missile fuel and ammunition, it said. Russian officials in the region

confirmed an attack but did not mention the plant.

Ukraine also claimed overnight strikes on the Saransk mechanical plant in Mordovia, Russia, which produces components for ammunition and mines, and the Makhachkala oil refinery in the Dagestan republic of Russia.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses downed 33 Ukrainian drones over several regions overnight including the area around St. Petersburg. Eight airports temporarily suspended flights because of the attacks.

In other developments, Zelenskyy arrived Wednesday in Oslo, Norway, and after that flew to Stockholm, where he and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson signed an agreement exploring the possibility of Ukraine buying up to 150 Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets over the next decade or more. Ukraine has already received American-made F-16s and French Mirages.

Moscow’s overnight attack also

targeted energy infrastructure and caused rolling blackouts, officials said. Russia has been trying to cripple the country’s power grid before winter sets in.

“We heard a loud explosion and then the glass started to shatter, and then everything was caught up in a burst of fire. The embers were everywhere,” Olena Biriukova, who lives in a Kyiv apartment building, told The Associated Press.

“It was very scary for kids,” she said.

Two people were found dead in the Dnipro district of the Ukrainian capital, where emergency services rescued 10 people after a fire caused by drone debris hit the sixth floor of a 16-story residential building, local authorities said. And in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district, emergency services responded after drone debris hit a 17-story apartment block, causing a fire on five floors. Fifteen people were rescued, including two children.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANDRII MARIENKO

Kharkiv Ukraine, on Wednesday.

Hamasattacktrial will be held in Lafayette

Federalcharges broughtagainst al-Muhtadi

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

Afederal trial willbeheldinLafayette for Mayhmoud al-Muhtadi, aresident of the city since June, who pleaded not guilty Wednesday to falsifying avisa application and conspiring to support aforeign terrorist organization, namely Hamas He is accused of being amember of aterrorist group and participating in the deadly Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack in Israel thatleft over a1,000 people dead and sparked a two-year conflict.

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district lines. If the justices agree with that viewpoint, it could create an opportunity to draw anew congressional map with only one majorityBlack district —ornone at all.

But it is difficult to predict when the nation’shighest court will issue an opinion and what exactly the decision will say Republicans in the state

Al-Muhtadi was in the U.S. DistrictCourt for the Western DistrictofLouisianainLafayette on Wednesday afternoon before Magistrate Judge Carol Whitehurst, where he pleaded notguilty to two charges handed up Friday afternoon byagrand jury

AssistantU.S. Attorney John Nickel said al-Muhtadi will not be deported toIsrael, although it is apossiblepenalty if he is found guilty

Nickel also said al-Muhtadi’strial will take place in federal court in Lafayette. If convicted,Whitehurst said, alMuhtadi could faceconsequences including up to life in prison, up to $250,000 in fines, supervised release for life and a$100 special assessmentfor thecharge of conspiring to provide material sup-

port to adesignated foreign terrorist organization resulting in death. She said for thesecond charge of visa fraud, al-Muhtadi could face up to 10 years in prison, up to $250,000 in fines, supervised release for up to threeyears and a $100 special assessment.

Al-Muhtadiwas ordered detained until his trial.

U.S.District JudgeDavid Joseph will schedule thetrial date. Federal officials on Wednesday filed amotion asking the court to designate Aleksandr Kurtov as the classified informationsecurityofficer for this case perthe Classified Information Procedures Act. They also requested seven alternate officers.

They also filed amotion asking Joseph to set apretrial conference as early as possible to discuss

relevantlegal andprocedural frameworks aimed at protecting classified information relevant to thecase.

FBI Supervisory Special Agent Alexandria O’Donnell, in an affidavit released last week, provided details on prosecutors’ case against al-Muhtadi. The affidavit,she wrote, was basedonher personalknowledge,information from other law enforcement agents, location information, recorded telephonecommunications, email and socialmedia communications, numerous witness interviewsand information providedbyIsrael.

Evidence, she wrote, showsalMuhtadi’sphone useda cellphone tower located near Kibbutz Kfar Aza in Israel,“thelocation of ahorrifying massacrebyHamas and

itssupporters.”OfficialssaidalMahtadi, who was living in Gaza, heard about the attack, armedhimself, gathered others and crossed into Israel to assist Hamas. Al-Muhtadi is also accused of providing false information on hisU.S.visa application,saying he had no involvement with a paramilitary organization, connection to Hamas, military training or participation in aterrorist attack.

He entered the U.S. in September 2024 through Dallas-Fort Worth InternationalAirport, where his photo wastaken. He lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for atime but was living in Lafayette and working at a local restaurant by June.

Email Claire Taylor at ctaylor@ theadvocate.com.

gressionalmap.

Right now,closed party primaries for major races like U.S. Houseand Senate and some municipalprimary races are set forApril 18.A subsequent election is scheduled on May 30 for municipal general races and, if needed, arunoff for the closed partyprimary contests.

Those elections wouldbe pushedback to May 16 and June 27, according tolegislation filedWednesday Instead of mid-January qualifying for the races

Senate President Cameron Henry,R-Metairie, echoed that sentiment: “All we’re doing is moving dates.”

Republicans hold supermajorities in bothchambers of theLegislature and are likely to face little frictioninachieving theirgoal But not everyoneisonboard with the plan.

“I’m certainly opposedto it,”saidRep.Edmond Jordan, D-Baton Rouge, who chairs the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus andled an unsuccessful legal fight seeking to force Attorney

said.

ButCarter saidhis primary concernisabout the broader implications of the SupremeCourt’sdecision.

“I’mmore concerned aboutthe overallpicture of not just Louisiana,but the entire country,”hesaid.

“The Voting Rights Act that was passed in 1965 was needed then, and it’sneeded today.”

Both congressmen say the special sessionispremature, given the difficulty of

predicting how the Supreme Court will act.

“The Legislature’sputting the cart before the horse, but theLegislature has the right to do what it’splanning on doing,” Fields said.

Sarah Brannon, an ACLU attorney on the legal team that represented agroupof Black litigants involvedin the Louisiana case, said the chances theSupreme Court upholds the current congressional map “are small.”

“Thatmeansthat(Senate

Dream Address Awaits

Bill 8) probably is notgoing to survive thisU.S. Supreme Court proceeding, that they aregoing to strike it down,” Brannonsaid, referring to the bill containing the current map But Brannon said it is “not at allclear”whattheywill decide, and when they will issue an opinion.

“It’satotal unknownasto what they will do,” she said.

Email Alyse Pfeil at alyse pfeil@theadvocate.com.

BUSINESS

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Stocks and gold sink; meme stocks swerve

NEW YORK U.S. stocksand the price of gold fell on Wednesday, as momentum on Wall Street reverses.

The S&P 500 sank 0.5%, though it’sstill within 1% of its all-time high set earlier this month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 334 points, or 0.7%, from its record set the day before, while the Nasdaq compositefell 0.9%.

Netflix helped drag the market lower after delivering a weaker profit for the latest quarterthan analysts expected. The pressure is on the video streamer and on companies broadly to deliver solid growth in profits. That would counter criticism that their stock prices shot toohigh following a35% romp for the S&P 500 from a low in April.

Netflix’sstock came into the day withajump of 39.3%for theyearsofar,morethandouble theS&P 500’sgain, before it dropped 10.1% on Wednesday AT&T fell 1.9% after deliveringaprofit that onlymatched analysts’expectations, while Texas Instruments sank 5.6% after its profit fell just short of forecasts.

On thewinning side of Wall Street wasIntuitive Surgical, which sellsrobotic-assisted surgical systems. It jumped 13.9%after reporting better profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Boston Scientific climbed 4% after likewisetopping analysts’profit expectations.

Capital One Financialrose 1.5%, and Western Alliance Bancorp climbed3.2% following theirown profit updates thatbeat analysts’ expectations.

Walmartpauses offers on H-1B visa prospects

Walmart Inc. has paused offers to candidates requiring H-1Bvisas, people familiar with the matter said, the latest example of how the Trump administration’s$100,000 visa fees aredisrupting workforces.

The current guideline primarily impacts Walmart’s corporate employees, said the people, who asked not tobe identifieddiscussing private information.

The Trump administration last monthslapped a$100,000 fee on new H-1B applications in abid to overhaul the visa programand curb overuse. The movehas reverberated across technology and otherindustries that employ thousands of such visa holders.

Walmart is the largestuser of H-1B visasamongmajor retail chains,employing an estimated 2,390 H-1B visa holders, accordingtogovernment data. That represents asmall fraction of itstotalU.S. workforce of about 1.6 million.

While it’samong major employers of H-1B recipients, it’s dwarfed by Amazon.com Inc., Microsoft Corp., Meta PlatformsInc. and other tech giants thatrelymoreheavily on thegroup.

Meta cutting 600 AI jobs but hiringfor lab MENLO PARK,Calif. Meta Platforms is cutting roughly 600 artificial intelligence jobseven as it continues to hire more workers for its superintelligencelab, the companyconfirmed on Wednesday Axios first reported the cuts, which will affect Meta’s FundamentalAIResearch, or FAIR unit, as well as productrelated AI and AI infrastructure units Meta has taken adifferent approach to AI than manyof its rivals, releasing its flagship Llama system for free asan open-source productthat enables people to use and modify some of its key components. Metasays more than abillion people use its AI products each month,but it’salso widely seen as laggingbehind competitors such as OpenAI and Googlein encouraging consumer use of large language models, also known as LLMs.

Reddit sues AI entities over‘scraping’

Perplexity andothers stoleusercomments, companysays

BY MATT O’BRIEN AP technologywriter

Socialmedia platform Reddit sued theartificial intelligence company Perplexity AI andthree other entitiesonWednesday,alleging their involvement in an “industrial-scale,unlawful” economyto “scrape” the commentsofmillions of Reddit users for commercial gain.

Reddit’slawsuit in aNew York federal court takes aim at San Francisco-based Perplexity,maker of an AI chatbot and “answer engine” that competes withGoogle,ChatGPTand others in online search.

Alsonamed inthe lawsuit are

Lithuanian data-scraping company

Oxylabs UAB, aweb domain called AWMProxy that Reddit describes as a“former Russian botnet,” andTexas-based startup SerpApi, which lists Perplexity as acustomer on itswebsite.

It’s the second suchlawsuit from Reddit sinceitsued another major AI company,Anthropic, in June.

But thelawsuit filed Wednesday is different in the way that it confrontsnot just an AI company but thelesser-known services theAI industry relies on to acquire online writings needed to trainAIchatbots.

“Scrapers bypass technological protections to steal data, then sell it to clients hungry for training material.Reddit is aprime target because it’sone of the largestand most dynamiccollections of human conversation ever created,” said Ben Lee, Reddit’schieflegal

officer,inastatement Wednesday

The lawsuit accusesthe companies of unfair competition and unjust enrichment and alleges that some of them violated U.S. copyright laws.

Perplexity said it hasnot yetreceived the lawsuit but “will always fight vigorously for users’ rights to freely and fairly access public knowledge.”

SerpApi’scustomersuccess director,Ryan Schafer,said in an email: “Westrongly disagree with Reddit’sallegationsand intendto vigorously defend ourselvesin court.”

Oxylabssaidina statement it was “shocked anddisappointed” and “will not hesitate to defend itself againstthese allegations.”

AWMProxy could not immediately be reached for comment.

Scrapingfor publicly available online data is acommonpractice

usedbybusinessesand researchers but Reddit compares the companies it is suing to “would-be bank robbers” whocan’tget into the bank vault, so they break into the armored truck instead.The lawsuit alleges they are evading Reddit’s own anti-scraping measures while also “circumventing Google’s controlsand scraping Reddit content directlyfromGoogle’ssearchengine results.” Along withdigitizedbooksand newsarticles, websites such as Wikipedia andRedditare deep troves of written materials that can helpteach an AI assistantthe patterns of human language.

Reddit has previously entered licensing agreements with Google, OpenAI andother companies that arepayingtobeable to traintheir AI systems on the public commentary of Reddit’smore than 100 million daily users.

USDA to reopen 2,100offices to help farmersaccess$3billion in aid

Twopaidworkers will be available, despite government shutdown

BY JOSH FUNK Associated Press

The Agriculture Departmentwill reopen about 2,100 county offices all across thecountry Thursday despite the ongoing government shutdown to help farmersand ranchers get access to $3 billion of aid from existingprograms.

TheUSDAsaideachFarmServiceAgency office will have two workers whowillbepaid even though thegovernmentremainsshut down. Theseoffices help farmersapply for farm loans, crop insurance, disaster aid and other programs. Thousands of other federal employees like air trafficcontrollers are working without pay during theshutdown.

AUSDA spokesperson said this move reflects President Donald Trump’scommitment to helping farmers and ranchers, who are traditionally someofhis strongest supporters. Recently,some of them have been unhappy with Trump’slatest moves although hissupport remains strong across rural America.

Just this week, ranchers were unhappy with Trump’sidea to import morebeef from Argentina becausethat could hurttheir profits, andearlier this month soybean farmers complained that a$20 billion aid package for Argentina allowed that country to sell soybeanstoChina. Farmers are also still waiting on details ofan aidpackageTrump promised to helpthemsurvive his trade war withChina,but that aid has been put on hold because of theshutdown

“President Trump will notlet theradical left Democrat shutdown impact critical USDA services while harvest is underway across the country,”the USDA spokesmansaid.

AWhite House official said the administration is using funds from theCommodity Credit Corporation, aUSDAagencythat addresses agricultural prices.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because theadministration’splans were not yet publicized.

Republicans like Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Iowa Sen. ChuckGrassley and North Dakota Sen. JohnHoevenalong with farm groupslike the National Corn Growers Association andIllinois Soybean Association praised the move while Democratsaccused the administration of using farmersaspoliticalpawns in theshutdownfight. Both parties have been unable to reach an agreement to fundthe government and end the shutdown

Agriculture Departmentwill reopen about 2,100 offices acrossthe countryThursday despite the ongoing governmentshutdown to helpfarmers and ranchers getaccessto$3 billionofaid from existingprograms.

that began Oct. 1.

Thune said reopening these offices,like he has been urging theadministration to do, will give farmers access to critical services in the midst of harvest season.

“Like manyhardworking Americans, producers in SouthDakota and across the country— who work tirelessly to provide highqualityfood for our nation —are being hurt by SenateDemocrats’ reckless government shutdown,” Thune said.

Kenneth Hartman Jr., whoischairman of theCornGrowersAssociation, said this is acrucialtime because farmers aregetting ready to place orders for next year’s seed

Plant-basedmeatcompany’s

BY DEE-ANN DURBIN Associated Press

Beyond Meat’ssharesbriefly sizzled Wednesday before heading back down again. Theplant-based meatcompany’s shares more than doubled early Wednesdaybeforeclosing at $3.58 per share,which was down 1%.

Still, it was asurprising comeback for astock that was trading at an all-timelow of 50 centsper share late last week. Investors cheeredBeyond Meat’s announcement Tuesday that it’s increasingthe availabil-

ityofsomeofits products at U.S Walmart stores. Beyond Meat said that its chickenpieces, Korean BBQ-stylesteak and burger sixpacks will nowbeeasier to findin morethan 2,000 Walmart stores. Beyond Meat also launched a direct-to-consumer website this week,whichwill try to build buzz by offering limitedreleasesofnew products.

But perhaps the biggest driver of interest in Beyond Meat is RoundhillInvestments, whichadded Beyond Meat to its Meme Stock ETF,orexchange-traded fund, on Monday.The fund consists solely

and fertilizer right now as well as settling up with the bankersfor this year’s operating loans. And farmers aregrappling with soaring costs.

“Because of the inflation factor,the farm economyisreallyinacriticalsituation here So anything that the farmers can get when it comes to support from the farm programs from thefarmbilloflastyear,weneedtoget that open and get that money out to them,” said Hartman, who is in the middle of harvesting his crop near Waterloo, Illinois.

The House Agriculture Committee Democrats said on Xthat this showsthatTrump and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins “could have supported farmers all along, but youchose nottobecause you’d rather use farmers’ pain to score cheap political points while increasing thecost of living forordinary Americans by making food and health care moreexpensive.”

Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig, who is the ranking Democrat on the Agriculture Committee, said the administration should have done this sooner to ensure that farmers can get the help they need.

“I am glad the administration is finally doing right by America’sfarmers by partially opening FSAoffices,though Iquestionwhy the administration waited so long and made this decision only after putting farmers through three weeks of uncertainty,” Craig said.

of meme stocks, which are stocks that gain popularity and trading volumebased on social media hype rather than acompany’sfinancial performance. Investors have been sporadically turning to meme stocksthroughout2025 in an effort to find bargains amid averypricey stock market. The stocks are often the target of “short sellers,” or investorsbetting against the stock. Beyond Meat was the darling of theplant-basedmeat industry when it went public on the Nasdaq stock exchange in 2019. But in recentyears theElSegun-

do,California-basedcompanyhas been strugglingwithweakdemand for its burgers, sausages, tenders andotherproducts. Beyond Meat’s net revenue was down 15% in the first six months of this year Beyond Meat’sstock price cratered last weekafter the company announced the expiration of lockup restrictions on some of its

‘President Trumpwill not let the radical left Democrat shutdown impact critical USDA services while harvest is underwayacrossthe country,’a USDA spokesman said.

U.S. strikesalleged drug-carryingboatinPacific

BY KONSTANTINTOROPIN

Associated Press

WASHINGTON The U.S. military launched its eighth strike against an alleged drug-carryingvessel, killing two people in thewaters of the eastern Pacific Ocean, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday,marking an expansionofthe Trump administration’s campaign against drug trafficking in South America.

The attack Tuesday night was a departure from the seven previous U.S. strikesthat hadtargeted vessels in the Caribbean.Hegseth said on social media that thelatest strike killed two people, bringing the death toll to at least 34 from at-

tacksthat began last month

Thestrike representsanexpansion of the military’stargeting area as well as ashift to thewaters off SouthAmerica where much of the cocaine from the world’s largest producers is smuggled. Hegseth’spost also draws adirect comparison between the war on terrorismthat the U.S. declared after theSept. 11, 2001, attacks andthe Trump administration’s crackdown

“Just as Al Qaeda waged war on ourhomeland,these cartels are waging war on our border and our people,”Hegseth said, adding “there will be no refuge or forgiveness —onlyjustice.”

RepublicanPresidentDonald

Trumphas justified the strikesby asserting thatthe United States is engaged in an “armed conflict” withdrug cartels and proclaiming thecriminal organizations unlawful combatants,relying on the same legalauthority used by President GeorgeW.Bush’sadministration when it declared a war on terrorism. In abrief video Hegseth posted Wednesday, asmall boat,halffilled with brown packages, is seen movingalong thewater.Several seconds intothe video, theboat explodesand is seen floating motionless on the water in flames.

The U.S. militaryhas built up an unusually large forceinthe Caribbean Sea and the watersoff

the coast of Venezuela since this summer,raising speculation that Trumpcould try to topple Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Maduro faces charges of narcoterrorism in the U.S. In hisposts on the strikes, Trump hasrepeatedly argued that illegal narcotics and the drug fentanyl carried by the vessels have been poisoning Americans.

While the bulk of American overdose deaths arefromfentanyl, the drug is transported by land from Mexico. Venezuela is amajor drug transit zone, but the eastern Pacific Ocean,not theCaribbean,isthe primaryareafor smuggling cocaine.

Colombiaand Peru, countries with coastlinesonthe easternPa-

cific, are the world’stop cocaine producers. Wedged between them is Ecuador,whose world-class ports and myriadmaritimeshipping containers filledwithbananas have become the perfect vehicle fordrugtraffickers to move their product.

The administration has sidestepped prosecuting anyofthe occupants of thealleged drugrunningvessels afterreturning twosurvivorsofanearlier strike to theirhome countries of Ecuador and Colombia.

Ecuadorian officialslater said they released the man that was returned, saying that they had no evidence he committed acrimein their country

ACLU callsfor removing pregnant womenfromdetention

BY SARA CLINE and VALERIE GONZALEZ Associated Press

BATONROUGE Women takenintocustody by U.S. immigration agents while pregnant say theyreceived inadequate care in aletter Wednesday that callson theTrumpadministration to stop holding expectant mothers in federal detention facilities.

The letter to U.S. Immigrationand Customs Enforcementispart of a broadercampaigninrecent months by Democrats and immigrant rights groups to draw attention to what they say is the mistreatmentof pregnant detainees

The Department of Homeland Security has defended its care, saying pregnant detainees get regular prenatal visits, mental health services, nutritional support and accommodations “aligned with community standards of care.”

In addition, Homeland Security Department Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin

said in awritten statement Wednesday that such detentionsare “rare”and involve “elevated oversight and review.” The agency didn’t provide figures on thenumber of pregnant women in detention, anumberDemocrats have sought for months.

Theletter sentbythe American Civil Liberties Union cites accounts from pregnant womenwho say they wereshackled while being transported, placed in solitary confinement for multiple days and given insufficient food and water while detained in Louisiana and Georgia.

The ACLU said thatover the past five months it has met with more than adozen females who were pregnant while in ICE custody —includingsomewho hadamiscarriagewhile detained. The women reported “gravely troubling experiences,” the letter states, including lack of translation during medical encountersand medical neglect. Onesuffered a “severe” infection afterher miscarriage.

Louvre director admits failureafter jewelheist

BY THOMAS ADAMSON and SYLVIE CORBET Associated Press

PARIS The Louvre’sdirector on Wednesday acknowledged a“terrible failure” at the Paris tourist attraction after adaylight crown jewel heist over the weekend, and said that she offered to resign but it was refused.

her resignation, butthatthe culture minister refused to accept it. “Today we are experiencing aterrible failure at theLouvre, which Itake my share of responsibility in,” shesaid Thethievesslipped inand out, making off with eight piecesfromFrance’sCrown Jewels.

In an interview with The Associated Press, one of the women saidshe was kept in handcuffs while being transportedtoLouisiana —a journeythatlasted five hours and spanned two plane rides Thewoman,who hassince been released from custody andgivenbirth, spoke on the condition of anonymityout of fear of facing retaliation during her ongoing case. An officer told her he considered taking off thehandcuffs but worried she would escape. “HowamIgoing to

escape if I’m pregnant?” the woman said she responded. She said she felt as if she’d been kidnappedand experienced dizziness,nausea and vaginal bleeding. During her time in detention, she said pregnant women were not offered special diets and described thefood as horrible. She alleged thatdetainees had to “beg” for water and toilet paper “Proper care for pregnancy is abasic human right, regardless of whether you are incarceratedornot and

regardless of your immigration status,” saidRep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, aCalifornia Democrat. She signed onto aDemocratic Women’s Caucus letter to DHS officials in July sharing concerns about the “treatment of women” and demanding answers —including how manyhave givenbirth while detained.

ICE guidelines already saythatagents“should not detain,arrest, or takeinto custody for an administrative violation of the immi-

gration laws” people “known to be pregnant, postpartum or nursing,” based on apolicysenttothe AP by DHS. But the document does state thatsuchpeople maybedetained and held in custody under “exceptional circumstances” or if their release is prohibited by law The policy also prohibits using restraintsonpregnant detainees, but here too there areexceptions —including if thereisa serious threat that thedetaineewill hurt herself or others.

The world’smost-visited museum reopenedearlier in the day to long lines beneath its landmark glass pyramid for the first time since one of the highest-profilemuseum thefts of the century stunned the world with its audacity and scale In testimony to the French Senate, Louvre director Laurence des Cars said that the museum had ashortage ofsecurity cameras outside the monument and other “weaknesses” exposedbySunday’stheft.

Under heavy pressure over aheist that stained France’sglobal image, she testified to aSenate committee thatshe submitted

The theft —steps away from the Mona Lisa” and valued at more than $100 million—has putembattledPresident Emmanuel Macron, Culture Minister RachidaDati, desCars and othersundernew scrutiny. It comes justmonths afteremployees went on strike, warning of chronicunderstaffing andnot enoughresources for protection, withtoo feweyes on too many rooms

“Wedid notdetect the arrival of the thieves soon enough,”des Cars said She said that themuseum’s alarms had worked properly, but that it currently doesn’t have full videosurveillance of theperimeter outsidethe museum, though there is a plan to provide full coverage of all theLouvre’sfacades. Threedayson, thejewels remain missing and the thieves are still at large.

rightsofrecordaffecting the property Having amunicipalad‐dress of 507 Melissa Av‐enue,PortAllen,LA 70767. TermsofSale: Cash to the highestbidderWITH benefitofappraisement and accordingtolaw

des Cars

Baton Rouge Weather

Council questions funding delays

Officials say communication issues hinder opioid money distribution

BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER Staff writer

East Baton Rouge Parish Metro

Council members grilled the cityparish’s Office of Community Development on Wednesday after hearing that agencies have been

waiting months to receive money to combat opioid abuse in the parish.

In August, the council approved $1 million to the East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney’s Office, and hundreds of thousands of dollars to nonprofits and other agen-

cies to address opioid abuse. But two months later, those funds still haven’t gone through.

“If this thing was executed in August, and here we’re getting almost to Thanksgiving, and no monies have been issued, something’s wrong with this picture,”

CALL IT

A NIGHT

ABOVE: Firefighters Wade Ashford, left, and Jake Morgan scoop out freshly made jambalaya for community members during the Baton Rouge-area National Night Out Against Crime at Howell Park in Baton Rouge on Tuesday

RIGHT: BREC’s Laila Joseph, right, watches as Hannah Marsellus, 7, plays a game at Howell Park on Tuesday

STAFF PHOTOS By HILARy SCHEINUK

Barbershop fight ended in fatal shooting, police say

A fight in a Baton Rouge barbershop earlier this month that ended in a fatal shooting began with a disagreement over an appointment for a tattoo, according to a Baton Rouge police affidavit.

One suspect, Sylvester Bouligny III, was arrested Oct. 16 in the fatal shooting of a bystander in the shop, and police said they are searching for two more suspects. According to the affidavit, Bouligny had paid a $150 nonrefundable deposit for a tattoo appointment the previous day at a Greenwell Springs Road barbershop, but showed up late. When the tattoo artist told Bouligny that he could reschedule or wait until the artist was finished with another client, Bouligny left, traveled to the Glen Oaks area, picked up two men and returned to the barbershop, the arrest report said. There Bouligny demanded a refund for his tattoo, but the artist refused. Bouligny then punched him, the affidavit said.

fired inside the barbershop,” and Bouligny fled on foot, the arrest report said. A bystander, 29-year-old Marvin Tolliver, who was not involved in the conflict, was fatally shot. Bouligny 24, was booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on principal to second-degree murder Father shoots ex-wife’s boyfriend, police say

“While the tattoo artist and defendant fought in the tattoo room, several gunshots were

A Baton Rouge man was arrested, accused of taking shots at his ex-wife’s new boyfriend after dropping off his daughter

said council member Carolyn Coleman. The Office of Community Development gives grants and other funding to various agencies and groups at the mayor-president’s direction for initiatives like violence prevention, housing development, drug intervention and more. The council questioned department director Kelly LeDuff about the delay Wednesday night, as District Attorney Hillar Moore’s office and others still wait for the much needed funds.

at a residence on Lakecrest Avenue. Shannon Knighten, 49, was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on seven counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of aggravated criminal damage to property and illegal use of a weapon. Witnesses to the shooting told police that Knighten had arrived to drop off his eldest daughter at the residence, where she lived with her siblings, her mother and her mother’s boyfriend. After his daughter exited his vehicle, police said Knighten

Council member Jen Racca and others told LeDuff that the office

City sued by fence company

claims public records law violated, nonpayment

BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer

A fencing company has sued the city of Gonzales, accusing it of withholding more than $23,000 in payments and not following public records law Liberty Fence and Supply of Baton Rouge is asking the court to order the city to pay for work the company says it performed earlier this year According to the complaint, the city contracted with the company on five projects, including replacing a damaged pump at the city pool and installing new posts at Woodman Park.

The city advised the company on Aug. 6 that any payment of invoices was “on hold,” according to Kim Landry, the attorney for Liberty Fence. Landry indicated that the city has not provided an explanation for the nonpayment, and no further communication regarding the payment has been received.

The interest accumulates at 0.5% every day on the amount, with a maximum of 15%, Landry wrote. The company is also accusing the city and Gonzales Clerk Brandon Boylan of not providing records requested under the state’s public records law Boylan departed the city clerk role at the end of March, and no replacement has been named. Mayor Tim Riley and disputed Chief of Staff Wade Petite have previously said that Boylan is clerk until a replacement is appointed.

Petite said the city administration

Rite Aid to be redeveloped

Bocage property sells for undisclosed sum ä See DELAYS, page 2B ä See SUED, page 2B

BY TIMOTHY BOONE Staff writer

An Alabama-based company has purchased the former Rite Aid at the corner of Jefferson Highway and Corporate Boulevard and plans to redevelop it for national and regional retail tenants. RAM Baton Rouge Shopping Center LLC of Birmingham bought the 12,000-square-foot building at 7570 Jefferson Highway and the nearly 1.2 acres it sits on for an undisclosed sum. The property had an asking price of $3.5 million.

Two tenants are lined up for spaces in the renovated building, said Ben Graham, of Stirling Properties, who represented the seller Leases have not been signed yet, but Graham said the tenants are national and regional in the soft

CRIME BLOTTER staff reports

Senate committeequestions Louisianacourt picks

Nominees discuss judicial experience, fairness

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON Twonominees for the Louisiana federal bench, includingstate Supreme Court Justice Will Crain, testified Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee on why they should be confirmedtolifetime appointments.

In addition to Crain, who was nominated to sit in the Eastern District headquarteredinNew Orleans, former acting U.S. attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, Alexander C. VanHook, was questioned by senators to become afederal judge in the districtthat sits in Lafayette, Shreveport, Monroe and Alexandria.

U.S. Sen. John N. Kennedy,R-Madisonville chaired much of the hearing for Crain and Van Hook. He and Sen. Bill Cassidy,R-Baton Rouge, recommended candidates for President Donald Trump to nominate.

knowhim that well, but man, you know,he’salawyer’slawyer.’

“As ajurist, Justice Crain has presided over and authored hundreds of judicial opinions,” saidJudiciary Chair Sen. ChuckGrassley R-Iowa. “Mr. VanHook has extensive courtroom experience, litigating hundreds of cases and trying 18 cases to verdict beforeajury He also clearly has the experience to make afine judge.”

VanHook, whohas been afederal prosecutor for more than two decades, said in his courtroom experience he has absorbed that good federal judges approach litigantswith fairness and dignity

“I look at judgment,” Kennedy said. “I try to pick lawyers that everyone in the communitywill look at and go, ‘Well, you know,Idon’t

Thepanel’squestioning focused on Crain, as Van Hook sat quietly beside him, and for the most part was relatively noncontroversial

Republican Sen. Ashley Moody,ofFlorida, asked how best to shore up trust in the judiciary

Crainanswered: “I’m a firm believer that oneof the ways thatwedothat is to fairly and impartially apply the rule of law. There should be some predictability.”

The only intense questioning camefromDemocraticSen. Mazie Hirono, of Hawaii, whenshe challenged Crain about campaign contributions from litigantswith legal actions beforethe Louisiana Supreme Court. Unlike many states,

Louisiana elects its judges, but rules forbid judgesfromdirectly soliciting campaign contributions.

She noted that Crain appeared sympathetictooil and gas arguments as ajudge andthatthe Louisiana system gives the appearance of partiality

Crain agreed to the appearance but said he doesn’tknow who contributedtohis three judicial campaigns —that function was handled by aseparate committee —and that he alwaysacted impartially

“The rules that we put in place have triedtoinoculateourselves as much as possible,” he said Kennedy reiterated the electoral processand prohibitionsinLouisiana’ssystemofchoosingjudges.

“Oneofmycolleagues suggested that you live in theleft front pocket of theoil industry,” Kennedy said Crain answered: “The only pocket Ilive in is the ruleoflaw.”

“That’scertainly been my experience,” Kennedy responded.

Craingrew up in Bogalusa and was an aide to legendary state Sen. B.B. “Sixty” Rayburn, D-Bogalusa, who was amajor force in Louisiana politicsinthe 1970s and1980s.

Craingraduated from LSUin 1983 with an accounting degree, then received hisjurisdoctorate in 1986 fromLSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center

He joined the law firm of Jones Fussell LLP, based in Covington, where he saidhelearned the importance of focusing on details during his 23 years as aprivate lawyer

NewOrleans Baptistchurchleadertoretire

Pastor Fred LuterJr. taps sonassuccessor at megachurch

BY DESIREESTENNETT

Staff writer

After 39 years leading Franklin Avenue BaptistChurch, one of the largest megachurches in the New Orleans area, Pastor Fred Luter Jr announced Sunday that he plansto retire next fall.

In his place,hehas askedthe church to consider voting in his son Fred “Chip” Luter III as its next leader

“Who would have thoughtthat ayoung street preacher from the Lower 9th Ward wouldbeelected by the 65 members of the Franklin Avenue Baptist Mission Church back in September of 1986 as pastor,” Fred Luter,69, said to his congregation. “Then that young preacher,who had never pastored before, would leadFranklinAvenuetobe …one of the largest churchesinthe state of Louisiana.”

In nearly four decades, Fred Luter has presided over thousands of christenings,baptismsand weddings, helped to rebuild both the church and the surrounding community after Hurricane Katrina, and rebounded after the “difficult, tough times of COVID-19,” he said.

“Considering such an incredible past, it is now time to focus on the future of our congregation,” he said in atearful speech surrounded by his wife and children. “With that said, it is with an extremely heavy heart that Iannounce my retirement as senior pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, effective next year.”

Amid gasps of surprise from the congregation and applausefor his time at the helm of the church, Fred Luter called for aspecial meeting to

RITE AID

Continued from page1B

An additional tenant may come on board. It will take about ayear to redevelopthe space, Graham said.

University.

Though she is notamember, many of the residents Hebert represents attend the church. She said Fred Luter’sinfluence has stretched well beyond the church walls in the originalSt. Roch location.In2002, the church opened asatellitelocation in the East, where many members already lived.

After Katrina’sdiaspora, he traveled to Baton Rouge and Houston forservices. And after the storm, thechurch moved itsmain campus to the East

In 2009, Crain was elected as judge in thenorthshore’s22nd Judicial District,thenwas elected to the state’s 1st Circuit CourtofAppeal, before running and winning aseat on theLouisiana Supreme Court in 2019. VanHook received his undergraduate degree in 1993 from Centenary College in Shreveport. He got his law degreefromthe Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 1997. He clerked for 5thU.S.Circuit Court Appeals Chief Judge Henry A. Politz, who satinShreveport and was an appointeeofformer PresidentJimmy Carter.Van Hook then clerked forU.S. DistrictChief Judge TomStagg, anominee of former President Richard Nixon who also sat in Shreveport. VanHook methis wife, Tricia, while clerking for Stagg, whose seat he will assumeifconfirmed, though it wasmostrecentlyheld by Judge Elizabeth Foote, who took senior status in 2022 andsat in Shreveport.

VanHookworkedfor ashort time in theexecutivecounsel’s office for Republican Gov.Mike Foster.For the past quarter century,hewas an assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Louisiana focusing on public corruption, organized crime, drug enforcementprosecutions, money laundering, white-collar crimeand asset forfeitures.

VanHook wasmade the district’s chief federal lawenforcementofficer as acting U.S. attorney in January

BLOTTER

Continued from page1B

stayed parked in the driveway, yelling at theboyfriend, whowas sittingunder acarport smoking a cigarette.

TheboyfriendtoldKnighten to leave theproperty,atwhich point police said Knighten pulled ahandgun and began firing at the boyfriend, striking him once in theupper leftthigh.

Trump nominated VanHook to the federal bench soon after tapping Zachary A. Keller as U.S. attorney on Sept. 15.

After fielding questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee, the twonomineeswereasked to respond to written questions by Oct. 29.The committeewill then vote on whethertorecommend that the full Senate vote to confirm the nominees.

Theprocess is moving quickly for Crain and VanHook —Trump nominated them in late September —compared with Louisiana nominations earlier this year

Democratic senators hadopposed manyofthe candidates nominated for federal trial and appellate courts as too doctrinaire and held up the confirmations of all the judicial candidates, including those fromLouisiana who nobody publicly criticized.

“Some of the nominees the Democrats were furious about. But these twoweren’tthatcontroversial,” said Carl Tobias, aUniversity of Richmond lawprofessor who follows judicial nominations.

Louisiana has four judicial nominations that are vacant —three in New Orleans, which is alot fora state, he added.

“I thought they got off easy.They didn’treally getthatmanydifficult questions,” Tobias said. “I don’tsee any red flags. Iwould expect they get confirmed this year.”

Email Mark Ballardat mballard@theadvocate.com.

she owned the residence on Lakecrest Avenue that Knighten’schildren and ex-wife wereliving in. She later convinced Knightento turn himself in for arrest, police said.

Fatal hit-and-run investigatednear airport

be held on Nov.3 for churchmembers to vote on whether his son, who already serves as senior associate pastor,should be the next leader of thechurch.

Chip Luter didnot commentduringthe briefannouncement, but stood with ahand on his father’s shoulder during the heartfelt speech.

The Luters declined to be interviewed until after church members have an opportunity to vote on his transition plan. But the request that Chip Luter lead thechurchnextwas met with cheers.

Later in the service, Fred Luter saidhis decisiontostep down was made to ensure that thefuture of the church would be in the hands of someone that loved it as much as he did, rather than have “some hireling to come along who doesn’tcare anything aboutthis church.” The congregation cheered and applauded againasherepeated his requestthat they support hisson in the role.

Dawn Hebert,president of the East New Orleans Neighborhood AdvisoryCommission representingseveral neighborhood associations,has known Fred Luter since theywere both students at Xavier

“New Orleans Eastwas very happy when his congregation decided to move the church,”she said. “That really improved the area where the church was built,and it was encouraging to seesomething new coming thatarea.…Hewas very committed to the community.”

Longtimechurch member and membership pastor JohnellThomas was amongthe original65members whovoted Fred Luter in as pastor 39 yearsago. He saidthough Fred Luter hadnever led acongregation before, the members found him relatable andeasy to talktoatatime when manypastors seemed unapproachable.

“Nobody knew what to expect,” Thomas said. “Wewere hoping that theLord would bless the church to grow,but we hadnoideaitwould grow to the magnitude of today.”

Even without knowing what would come, Thomas said the church memberswho voted him in could see his sincerity andhis heart for the church.

“It’sa struggle to seethe change taking place,” Thomas said. “But people arenot going to work all theirlives. He’s been committed and faithful. We know all of us are going to retire one day.”

Still, “it’ssurreal,” he said.

Email Desiree Stennett at desiree. stennett@theadvocate.com

Other shots traveled inside after striking theresidence, which was occupied at the time. The now-injured boyfriend retreated to his girlfriend’svehicle and retrieved a9mmhandgun. He thenreturnedfire at Knighten,who fled the scene in his vehicle, police said.

Knighten’ssisterlater arrived at the scene, telling officers that

DELAYS

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needstoimprove its communication with vendors.

“Some folks are reaching out to news media saying that they haven’treceivedtheir funds, Racca said. “Theysay they haven’tbeen communicated with and they weren’ttold as to how to get those.”

LeDuff said he does notwant there to be delays,and he andhis office staff work hard to secure funds like the opioid funding earmarked for the district attorney andnonprofits,though he conceded that theround of funding the council approved in August created alot of work for hisdepartment.

Louisiana State Police troopers are investigating afatal hit-andrun that occurred Wednesday afternoon near BatonRouge Metropolitan Airport. Troopers respondedtoa call aboutanunknown vehicle and apedestrian about 1:44 p.m., according to aState Policespokesperson. The victim was hit near the intersection of Blount Road and La. 67, officials said. The intersection borders the airport. No furtherdetails were immediately available.

fore funds could be drawn. The reply from LeDuff’s chief grant administrator did not mention needing reimbursement requests from the District Attorney’sOffice, and instead repliedtosay the agreementis awaiting signaturesfromcityparish officials.

“One of the biggest calls I get from vendors is the challenge withmoving things forward, getting reimbursements,” council memberCleve Dunn Jr.said.

Dunn addedthatthe city-parishhas invested significantfunds in technology to speed up processes like these, and things should not be taking as long as they are right now

“Wehave the technology there to improvethe process,”hesaid.

“In all transparency,itwas a lot to do at one time,” LeDuff said to the council.

“This hasbeen brought to ourattention for quite some time. I’m just looking for the implementation.”

SUED

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declined to comment because it concerns pendinglitigation Boylan didn’trespond to arequest for comment Wednesday The complaint also states Liberty Fence submitted apublic records request with the city in early April, seeking items including alist of all city vendors and amayor’sreport on the company That report had been unveiled during the previous week’sCity

The building has beenvacant for several years.Walgreens bought more than 1,900 Rite Aid stores in 2018. Walgreens then proceeded to close many of the Rite Aidstores that were next to its existing stores, like theone on Jefferson Highway

“From ademographic and traffic count,this is the best corner in the city,” he said. “There was alot of interest, but it took awhile to get the piecestogether.”

Council meeting, during which Petite presentedallegations that thecompanyhad “bilked” the city Amongthe allegations, he claimed Liberty Fence charged more than $1.3 million to the city lastyear and that thecitycouldn’tfind evidenceofall work being completed In the Oct. 9lawsuit, the company said all therecords requested were provided except for one, which asked for all documents associated with budgeted expenditures by the citybetween 2023 and April 2025.City employees and Landry met in July to discuss thesituation, and Landry wrote

Asimilarredevelopmentofan emptypharmacy into abuilding withmultiple tenants is happening at GovernmentStreet and Acadian Thruway,where the former CVSisbeing converted into aspace for several restaurant tenants.

Email Timothy Boone at tboone@theadvocate.com.

that thedocuments thecityhad supplieddidn’tsatisfy the request “The Senior Accountant was unaware of how the expenditures were assigned to theexpenditure categories …asshe had only been withthe City for less than one month,” Landry wrote. Landry said therequested documents still haven’tbeen provided and asked the court to order Boylan andRileytoprovide access to therecords.

Email Christopher Cartwright at christopher.cartwright@ theadvocate.com.

JonDaily,Moore’sCPA,said these funds are used for programsinhis officeand others focused on intervention and prevention for opioid abuse.

Alot of these funds go to data collection, he added, which helps make opioid prevention efforts more efficient.

“Overdoses have decreased a lot as aresult of our preexisting efforts,” Daily said. “But the overdose is just asymptomof the problem. So we will continue to build outinterventionpoints to address root causes.”

Daily said he did not know the reason for the delay and added the District Attorney’sOffice is still waitingfor acooperative endeavor agreement from the Office of Community Development and the Mayor-President’s Office. In astatement Wednesday, LeDuff said “as of today,we have notreceived areimbursement request from theDA’sOffice.”

Butemails sent Monday obtained via apublic records request show Daily asking if the office needed anything else be-

Crain VanHook

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MAXBECHERER

Pastor Fred Luter Jr., the leader of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, one of the largest megachurches in theNew Orleans area,announced Sundaythat heplans to retire next fall.

Racca

Center,9348 Scenic Hwy.at10am.

Efferson, Bobby

St.Alphonsus Catholic Church,14040 Greenwells SpringsRd., Greenwells Springs at 11:30am.

Kliebert,Barbara

Funerals Today day, October 24, 2025 at Hall's CelebrationCenter, 9348 Scenic Hwy. Baton Rouge,LAfrom 9:00 am until the Funeral Servicesbeginning at 10:00am. Entombment: HeavenlyGates Cemetery.Servicesentrusted to Hall Davisand SonFuneral Services. www.halldavisandson.com

OurLadyofPeace Catholic Church

Vacherie,LAat11am.

Lowe,Suzette

St.AloysiusCatholic Church in BatonRouge,LAat11am.

McAdams, Rodlyn

BlackwaterMethodist Church,10000

BlackwaterRd, Baker, LAat 11am

Sellers,Josie

Beech Grove BaptistChurch,2376 Thomas Road,Baton Rouge,LAat 6pm

Obituaries

Amedee, Lenora 'Pete'

Lenora "Pete" Peters

Amedee, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and friend, passed away peacefully on September 27, 2025, at the age of 86. Lenora went to join her beloved husband, Louis Amedee, just hours after he departed this world, marking the end of abeautiful love story that spanned over 62 years. The family invites all who knew and loved Lenora and Louis to join them in commemorating their lives. A visitation will be held at Parkview Baptist Church, located at 11795 Jefferson Hwy, Baton Rouge, on Saturday, October 25, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. until the Memorial Service at 10:00 a.m. To read the full obituary, or leave apersonal note to the family, please visit www.resthavenbatonr ouge.com

Louis Amedee, adevoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, andcherished friend, passed away peacefullyon Friday, September 26, 2025, at the age of 94. The family invites all who knew and loved Louis, and his beloved wife Lenora, to join them in commemorating their lives. Avisitation will be held at Parkview Baptist Church, located at 11795 Jefferson Hwy, Baton Rouge, on Saturday, October 25, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. until the Memorial Service at 10:00 a.m. To read the full obituary, or leavea personal note to the family, please visitwww.restha venbatonrouge.com

10:00 a.m. Rev. TomCookand Rev. LeslieHyacinthwillofficiate.

Efferson,Bobby

Clark, Olevia Randolph

Olevia Randolph Clark departedthislifeonTues‐day,October 14,2025ather daughter’sresidence in New Orleans, LA.She was 87, anativeofLabadieville, LA. Visitation on Thursday, October 23,2025, at Williams andSouthallFu‐neral Home,5414Hwy 1, Napoleonville,LAonfrom 5:00pmto7:00pm. Visita‐tiononFriday, October24, 2025, at St.MarkBaptist Church,105 Hwy1014, Labadieville, LA from 9:00amtoReligious Ser‐vices at 11:00am. Burial in the Church Cemetery ArrangementsbyWilliams & Southall FuneralHome, 5414Hwy 1, Napoleonville, LA(985) 369-7231. To sign guest book or offercondo‐lences, visitour websiteat www.williamsandsouthall funeralhome.com. ArrangementsbyWilliams& SouthallFuneralHome, 5414Hwy 1, Napoleonville LA70390.(985) 369-7231. To signthe guestbookor offer condolences, visitour website at www.william sandsouthallfuneralhome com.

Douglas Starr

Douglas StarrDoremus, lovingson,brother, husband,father,uncle, and grandfather passedfrom this life into the nexton October 15, 2025 at the age of 83. He was bornin Cincinnati,OhioonFebruary9,1942 to the late Frank and Virginia Doremus. His love of learning ledhim to Purdue Universitywhere he graduated with aB.S.in Chemical Engineering and from Lamarwith amasters in Engineering Science. He began his professionalcareer inPort Arthur,Texas at Texaco Research Labs; continued with Ciba-Geigy in McIntosh, Alabama and eventually made his way to their offices in St Gabriel, LA. He finishedhis career at Imes Engineering workingfor Shelland Exxon. Upon retirement he pursued his lifelong dream of teaching high school math and physics.

He was intelligent, logical,loyal, charitable, and handyinany area he set his mind to. He was naturally athletic and participated in track, tennis,and basketball.Hewas also an avid fanofPurdue, LSU, the Saints and Formula1 racing. He lovedtotravel to places he couldhike, fish, scuba dive, explore, and marvelatthe beauty of God's creation. He especially lovedtohike the waterfalls.Heloved music and had alarge vinyl collection of classical music. He was alifelonggardener and later in life picked up beekeeping

He is survived by his lovingwifeand soulmate of 58 years, Gail, his older sister, Virginia "Ginny" Rottman (Jim), 2sons, Blaine and ClayDoremus, 2 granddaughters, Helen and Maeven,and numerous nieces and nephews. He is also precededindeath by his sister,Elizabeth Frye

Amemorialservicewill be held on FridayOctober 24th at Broadmoor United Methodistchurch. Visitation willbegin at 9:00 a.m. with aservicetofollow

Bobby Wayne Efferson grew up in Baker, Louisiana. He was born on December 9, 1936, and passed away on Monday, October13, 2025, at theage of 88. In lieu of flowers, Bobby'sfamily prefers donations to theAmerican CancerSociety. Friends and family are invitedto attend avisitation at Greenoaks Funeral Home, 9595 FloridaBlvd, Baton Rouge, LA, on Wednesday evening, October 22, 2025, from4 pm to 7:30 pm and again, thenext morningat St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, 14040 Greenwell Springs Rd., Greenwell Springs,70739 on Thursday, Oct 23, 2025, from10am until Mass of Christian Burial at 11:30 am concelebrated by theRev.Mike Moroney.Interment willfollowinGreenoaks Memorial Park. FullObituary at www.dignitymemorial.com

God called Marvin Glenn Girod to anew life with Him on October14, 2025. He liveda long and beautiful life of 84 years, devoted to God and family.Glenn was born February 17, 1941, to parents, Homer Marvin Girod and Lizzie IreneBrittainGirod in Tullos, Louisiana. He attended TullosElementary& LaSalle HighSchool until 1956, when thefamily moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Glenn graduated from Baton RougeHigh School in 1959 &LSU in 1964 with aBSdegree where he was in theAED HonorSociety. He continued his educationatthe University of Mississippi Medical School completing his MD degree in 1968, where he was in theAOA & PhiKappaPhi HonorSocieties. Glenn joinedthe U.S. AirForce on July4,1968, to July 15, 1976, where he did his residency in Pathology with thetitle of Aerospace Medicine Physician(Flight Surgeon) and gainedthe rank of Major. Glenn was associated with the Pathology Group of Baton Rouge from 1976 to 1985, then thegroup became the Pathology Association of Southern Louisiana from 1985 to 1998. Whilea Pathologist,hewas aFellowofthe College of American Pathology& aFellow of theAmerican Societyof Clinical Pathologists. While attending Zoar Baptist Church, he sang in the adultchoirand was adeacon. He also was adeacon and sang in boththe adult choir and men'schoirat FloridaBoulevardBaptist Church. With this church he went on seven mission tripstoHonduras as a Physician. While at BroadmoorBaptist Church, he served as atrustee and a deacon.Glenn is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Frances Thelma Smith Girod; sons and daughters-in-law: Wesley Glenn Girod (Melanie DentonGirod), GarrettFranklin Girod (JenniferNelson Girod),KyleCharles Girod (Sonia Schuurman Girod); grandchildrenand spouses, Zachary Glenn Girod (Ciera Christman Girod), Michaela Girod Sonnier (Chad JosephSonnier), Justin Cole Girod,Austin Charles Girod (Megan Alford Girod), Gage Denton Girod, Alec BryceGirod, CaedmonGerritGirod,Macy Grace Girod, Maya FelicityGirod, Zoe Madison Girod, XavierDaniel Girod. Preceded in death by his parents, Lizzie IreneBrittain Girodand Homer MarvinGirod; brothers, Jimmy Dale Girod and Walter AllenGirod.Visitation will be on Saturday, October 25, 2025, at Resthaven Gardens of Memory &Funeral Home from 9:00 AM until CelebrationofLife Service at 11:00 AM, conductedby Rev. LeonardEzell which willbefollowedbyinterment with full Military HonorGuard and bagpipes. Donations may be madeto St.Jude's Children's Home or TunneltoTowers Foun-

dation.The family would like to thank thedoctors and nurses of ICUon9th 5th, 3rd floors, and PinnacleHospice on 5thfloor of Ladyofthe LakeHospital fortheir excellent loving care. Also, thanks to the many friendsand family for their loving care, prayersand support.

Grant,DorothyParker

Baton Rouge,LA. Dorothy PGrant 80, born January7,1945. Anativeof Natchez,MS, and aresident of BatonRouge, LA passed away peacefully on October16, 2025. Dorothy leavestocherish her memorieseight children, eighteen grandchildren, nineteen great-grandchildren, ahost of family and friends. Apublicviewing willbeheldinher honor on Friday the24thofOctober at 9:00am to 11:00am followedbyfuneralservices at 11:00am at WinnfieldFuneral Home.Servicesentrusted to WinnfieldFuneral Home, Baton Rouge, LA

MarlysBeaudineKarsh, 83, passed away on Sunday, October 12, 2025, in BatonRouge,Louisiana, afteran18-yearbattlewith breast cancer. BorninBismarck,ND, and raised in Keokuk,IA, Marlyswas aproud graduateofIowaState University. She remaineda loyal Cyclones fan throughout her life—cheering them on every season. Marlysbegan her career as acivilian with theUnitedStates Air Force,specializing in human resources. This took herfirst to abaseinPuerto Rico,and latertoCarswell AirForceBase in Fort Worth, TX, where she retiredwithover 30 years of service as Director of Human Resources. After moving to Fort Worth, Marlys met thelove of herlife,Kenneth Karsh, on ablind date. The two were married fornearly48 years. Upon retirement, she found her dream job as apart-time employee of Dishes fromthe Past in FortWorth, TX, where she decorated tables and helpedcustomers replace dishesand silverware from their grandmothers' china collections, lovingly packaging each piece.

Marlyswas adevoted Catholic, actively participating at St.Peter's, St. Frances Cabrini, and St. GabrielCatholicChurches. She lovedparticipatingin theMaster Gardenerprogram and in numerous book and gardenclubs.

Marlyswas an avid reader, who never missed her dailynewspaper or the crossword that came with

it.Anexcellent cook, she delightedinpreparing meals and wasa gracious hostesswho lovedgatheringfamilyand friends around hertable.She especially cherished herdaily calls with herbest friend of morethan 50 years, BillieCooke—the twoshared alifelongtradition of decoratingeachother's homes for everyseason Marlys is survivedby herloving husband, Kenneth Karsh;her daughter, Kathryn Karsh Fontenot (Dexter); herson,Stephen Karsh (Mallary); and her belovedgrandchildren, Jacoband Charlotte Fontenot. Sheisalso survivedbyher sister,Janice Blankenburg(Evan). Shewas preceded in death by herparents,Allen andElsieBeaudine,and herbrother,Bruce Beaudine Afuneral mass willbe held at St.GabrielCatholic Church in St.Gabriel, Louisiana. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St.Jude Children's ResearchHospital

"And He will raiseyou up on eagle's wings,Bear you on thebreathofdawn, Make you to shine likethe sun, Andholdyou in the palmofHis Hand."OnFriday, October17, 2025, a beautifullife of love ebbed to apeaceful endas Colleen Jean LaMotte's spirittook glorious flight to Heaven, while herchildren surrounded her. Colleen wasthe youngestofthe four childrenborntoMr. andMrs.Ernest Leo Paul LaMotte,inBaton Rouge, Louisiana. Affectionately called"Boo Boo" as achild by her father andmother, who dotedonher,Colleen wasreared in aloving,God fearinghome -anexperiencewhich shaped her abiding faithinGod and deep love forher own children. SheattendedSouthernUniversityLaboratory School fromkindergarten through highschool.From thereshe began her studiesatSouthernUniversity, whereshe earned aBachelor'sDegree in Education Colleen wasabletotouch thelives of numerous students as an elementary school teacher in East BatonRouge Parish public schools, and laterasa teacher and administrative assistant at St. Joseph CathedralPreparatory School,whereshe forged many lifelong friendships with clergy in the Diocese of Baton Rouge andbeyond. Later in her career sheservedasa legal secretary during theadministrationofAttorney General WilliamGuste at the LouisianaDepartmentof Justice. Colleen's passion in life wasnurturing her childrenand later, her grandchildren. Throughout her life she heldfirmlyto her belief, moldedinher childhood,ofthe importance of family.Holidays were specialtimes to herespecially Christmas. Knownfor her incredible cooking talent inherited fromher mother, shetook

great pride and foundimmenseenjoyment in hostinglarge holiday gatherings forwhich,muchtothe delight of her family,she wouldlovinglycook allof theirfavorites andwatch as they enjoyed thedeliciousfood sheprepared. Sheenjoyed watching sports, especially golfand tennis, and would often call her friends to compare notes during tournaments, or to discuss Tiger Woods' latest victory. Quintessential to herexistencewas her deep faithinand love forGod. Colleen believedin thepersistent powerof prayer. She prayedthe Rosaryand watched Holy Mass on television every morning. More importantly shelived her faith, and shared it with her children andothersaroundher Throughouther dear sister Rhea'sillness, Colleen lovinglyand faithfully cared forRhea,exemplifying daily theChristianvalues which guidedher life Colleen leaves to celebrate her life of love, laughter anddevotionone daughter, Toni R. Awill of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; four sons, KyleRoquemoreand wife Kimberly of Houston, Texas, Eric Roquemoreand wife Celeste, Patrick Roquemore, and Mark Roquemoreand wife Angela, allofBaton Rouge, Louisiana; sixgrandsons, Matthew, Bryant(Deleon) andJustinAwill,and Mark Roquemore, Jr., allofBaton Rouge, Louisiana, and Kyle andBrennanRoquemoreof Dallas, Texas; two granddaughters, Amanda RoquemoreofAtlanta, Georgia, andLaurenRoquemoreof Dallas, Texas; andone great-granddaughter, DenaLynn Awill,ofBaton Rouge, Louisiana. She is also survivedbynumerous nephews,relatives, and friends. Eagerly greeting her as shejoins theangels in Heavenare her first born,a son, Leroy Roquemore, Jr.(who always remained herangel while in this life); herparents, Mr andMrs.Ernest LaMotte; her sisterand closest friend, Rhea LaMotte;two devoted brothers, Ernest LaMotte andHuberLaMotte,and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins andother relatives who were dear to her heart.Although we whomshe left behindare heartbroken,werejoice in God's promisethatshe is now reunited with her lovedoneswho left before her andwhom she missed so much, andinHis promisethat oneday we toowill see her again. Visitation will beginat9:30 am on Friday, October24, 2025, at St. Aloysius Catholic Church,2025 Stuart Avenue, Baton Rouge, LA, with aRosaryat10:00 am followedbythe Mass of ChristianBurialat11:00 am celebratedbyReverend Cleo J. Milano. Interment will followatRoselawn MemorialPark, 4045 North Street, Baton Rouge, LA. Arrangementsare entrusted to Rabenhorst Funeral Home.

LaMotte,Colleen Jean

Girod,Dr. M. Glenn

Karsh, Marlys

Amedee, Louis

Doremus,

'BO'

OUR VIEWS

Calcasieu’s courtrecords policy leaves citizens in thedark

In Calcasieu Parish, when residentsofneighborhoods scarred by violence want to know what’shappening as an alleged perpetrator faces justice, they can’talways easily access records about the case. That’s because in Calcasieu, alone among the 64 parishes inthisstate, the clerk of court’s office requires ajudge’s ordertorelease records related to violent crime. In other parishes,any citizen canget courtrecords by simply requestingthem,perhaps payingasmall feefor copies.

First, it’shard to see how theCalcasieuParish Clerk of Court’spolicy,onits face, isn’ta violation of state open records law,whichrequires “guaranteed access to public records unless alaw specifically and unequivocallyprovides otherwise.” Lawyers and advocatessay that it’s likely also aviolation of open courtsand public records provisions in the state Constitution, nottomention the First Amendment of the U.S Constitution Secondly,ascriminal defense lawyers told this newspaper’sMegan Wyatt, it is an extra burden as they try to vigorously defend their clients. It slows down cases bycreating unnecessary work for lawyers andjudges, theysaid.

While those considerationsare significant, it’s the impact on the publicthatmost concerns us Wyatt heard from residents whoweretrying to find out why charges of attempted seconddegree murder werereduced after ashooting in Westlake. With court recordshidden,theyhad only speculation to go on. Lack of transparency undermines confidence in the justice system. Even if everything is aboveboard, the public has noway of beingsure of that without the ability to view records related to court decisions

The Calcasieu ParishClerk of Court Lynn Jones, who has served in thepost for21years, said the policy is designed to protectvictims and juveniles, but there are alreadyprovisions that allow for the redaction of informationrelated to sex crimes and the identities of youths accused of crimes Jones also said that he had consultedwith other jurisdictions, where clerksofcourt said the policy was allowable. Wyatt’s reporting found no evidence of that. Bethany Smith, who has overseen criminalrecords for26years, said the policyhad predatedher tenure. Apparently,no onehad ever successfully challenged it.

We urge Attorney General Liz Murrill, who has shown herself achampion of open meetings laws recently,toclarify to Jones andothers exactly what public records law requires.

The newspaperbegan lookinginto theissue after requesting publicrecordsfor months. Wyatt is part of the paper’snewly expandedcoverage in the southwestern part of thestate.And this story points to how so many of ourcities and towns need more robust journalism. Calcasieu is no backwater; hometoLake Charles, it’s the seventh most populous parish in thestate Its citizens deserve to know that thecriminal justice system their tax dollars pay forisworking for them, same as anywhere else

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE

WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence

TheAdvocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com.

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

Isthere away to break impasseinWashington?

What are theparties arguing about in Washington?

n Premiumassistance: At thetime of COVID, Congress enacted atax credit for people who have their insurance through theAffordable Care Act. To attract enough votes, this tax credit was limited to three years and will expire on Dec. 1. There is general agreementthat if thetax credit expires, those individuals will find their premiumstoincrease substantially,causing manyofthem to go without any health insurance. The Democrats want to enact alaw making the tax credit permanent. The Democrats attempted to enact such aprovision numerous times prior,but Republicans did not agree.

n Provisionsinthe BigBeautiful Bill: While very complex, theBBB changes the rules regarding the eligibilityofpeople on Medicaid/Medicare. Someofthe rules. While theDemocrats tried to eliminatethese provisions in theBBB, the Republicans included them. Andhere is the rub.

The Democrats insist that the premium assistance be made permanent and theprovisions in theBBB that affect Medicaid and Medicare be eliminated.

The Republicans insist that they are willing to negotiate the premium assistance and the elimination of the Medicaid and Medicare limitations but will not do so while the shutdown continues.

The Democrats simply do not trust theRepublicans to negotiate in good faith if there is no pressure exerted by theshutdown.

Iwould propose that the Democrats agree to open up thegovernment for a three-week period. During that period, since thegovernmentwill be open, the Republicans would be pressured to negotiateingood faith. If an agreement is not reached, the government will be shut down again. If aside does not negotiateingood faith, that side will own the shutdown with its attendant political costs.

PAUL BARRON NewOrleans

Paul Newman rumorhelpedBRphilanthropy

For 55 years, Quota Club of Baton Rouge has raised funds for itscharitable giving with atour of exclusive privatehomes. It was called the Open Door Tour.The two highest-earning tours was the Bob Dean homeonLakeshore Drive and former Gov.Edwin Edwards’ private home on Highland Road

Beforethe Bob Dean tour,the rumor that Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman had either lived in that home or were planning to purchase it was at its height. The rumor drove ticket sales for the Quota Tour as well as Bob Dean’sfabled classic cars. He had a Duesenberg that Hitler had ridden in, aclassic Bentley and many more. The

ballroom where he kepthis cars is still on the property,but the new owners replaced the homewith alarger mansion. The original home had alot of charm and our tour participants really loved it, especially theantiques which Bob Dean himself had selected forthe house. The Newmans indirectly helped us raise alot of money forBaton Rouge Speech and Hearing Foundation, the School for theDeaf and manyother causes. Thanks to Joanne and Paul and themany homeowners whohelped us by lettingpeople tour their homes for agood cause.

BARBARA C. “BOBBIE” CAREY Baton Rouge

Bias againstDonaldTrump evidentinwordchoice

The opening sentence in an article published Sept.27states,“Trump’s unprecedented retribution campaign against his perceived political enemies reached new heights…” Perceived? New heights? Not even close. For eight years, theAmerican people have watched Russiagate, two impeachments, four civil business trials,

araid on aformer president’shome and numerous associates indicted on very flimsy charges.Unprecedented?

The Associated Press journalist lives in an echo chamber.His choice of words speaks volumes to obtuseness and bias.

JOHN S. WHITE Harahan

Publishing letter that demonized Democrats stokes divisions

Iwas dismayed thenewspaper publishedWadePerrin’sletter on Oct. 2, titled “Democrats can’t distance themselvesfrom consequences of hateful rhetoric.” Publishing aletter characterizing an entire political party as “evil andgodless” is irresponsible The handful of people who celebrate such violenceare indeed evil, but they do notrepresentthe entire Democratic Party.This extreme, hateful rhetoric comes from fringe elements, notthe parties. Iknowmost Republicansreject thenotion that allDemocrats are evil. Crucially,the people of Louisiana knowbetter than to followthe hateful cues of distanttalking heads. In our communities, standing side-by-side on theparaderoute at MardiGras, tailgating before aSaintsgame, or pitching in to help aneighborafter a hurricane, we treat each other with respect. Ihave morefaith in theinherentdecency of ourneighbors across Jefferson Parish andNew Orleansto prioritize human connection over political animosity As alifelong Democrat who publicly condemned this violence, Iwantto emphasize that while Ivehemently disagreed withCharlie Kirk’spolitics, disagreement is notadeath sentence, andviolence hasabsolutelynoplace in ourdemocracy.Wordsand arguments are thebattlefieldofdemocracy,not bullets andbloodshed For thesakeofour state andshared civic health,the newspaperand allof us,have amoral obligation to promote civilityand decency,not divisionand hatred.Let us committoapoliticsthat persuades, not destroys.

BARRYS.RANSHI Democratic State Central Committee representative, District79B

Callaisplaintiffsshow exactlywhy race matters

Using race, specifically and laughably,the self-described “non-Black” plaintiffs in the Callais case argued before the Supreme Court clearly care only about their race. Our country,always struggling for equal opportunity,now has astate attorney general fighting against that very ideal when it applies to any group except “non-Black” people. Righting awrong is never wrong, especially when the wrong hasbeen written into laws and practiced for many decades.

MARK

GONZALEZ

NewOrleans

Trumpis wrongtodeployNationalGuard

President DonaldTrump is wrong to deploythe National Guard in Chicago

That’swhat nine retired national military chiefs, including two withmajor Louisiana connections and Republican pedigrees, told the SupremeCourt on Monday They are correct.

Thirty years ago,indeed 15 years ago, almost every conservative or Republican in America would have agreedwith the military chiefs and disagreed with the president trying to use thetroops thatway.Now that Trump is calling the shots, though, the Republican hierarchyhas abandoned itsvalues in favor of vassalage to its White House lord

insurrection or awidespread violation of civil rights. By mostrational standards, thosecircumstances do not applyinChicago or other cities to which Trumpissending Guard troops to counteract ordinary crime and potential protests, rather than against armed insurrection or in responsetoanatural or accidental disaster

The chiefs areall either former secretaries of the Army and Navyorretired four-star admirals and generals. They include Sean O’Keefe, scion of a century-long Louisiana political dynasty,who headed the Navy and NASA and servedasa popular chancellor of LSU; and Thad Allen, the national Coast Guard Commandant who earned praise forhis handling of the aftermaths of both Hurricane Katrina andthe BP oil spill. Both were appointees of Republican presidents. The chiefs this week jointly filed a friend-of-the-court brief askingthe Supreme Court to keep in place atemporary blockage of Trump’sdeployment of theGuard.Theymade rather cursory,but still apt, legal argumentsthat Trump is violating the long-standing Posse Comitatus Act, which generally prohibits using national military personnel for domestic law enforcement. They made much more comprehensive, and quite instructive,arguments forwhy the principles of Posse Comitatus are wise and why ignoringitis dangerous.

Posse Comitatus applies against domestic military use withoutagovernor’s request except in very narrowcircumstances, such as an armed

WHO-DAT CANDY

Traditionally,conservatives, because of their antipathy to centralized federal power and their libertarian instincts on gunownership, have been theones mostsupportive of the Posse Comitatus Act. During the presidenciesofBill Clinton and Barack Obama, conservatives saw Posse Comitatus as akey bulwark against government abuse. They especially feared that a liberal president would use the military to force “progressive” social nostrumsdown their throats.

Note that they didn’tsay their support for Posse Comitatus depended on thenature of the president’sintentions: They said therule against domestic use of the military stemmed from fundamental principles all presidentsshould obey Those supposedly fundamental principles,alas,seemtodisappear when the target of thetroops is the woke Left rather than the traditionalist Right. Apparently,their objections weren’treally principlesatall, but merely tactics. In contrast, true conservatives continue to believe theprinciples should still apply and that thelaw as written should not so readily bow to apresident’s desires.

Apart from all that, though, the brief filed byO’Keefe, Allen and their compatriots explains quite cogently why PosseComitatus, in very practical terms, isimportant.They say using troopsfor domestic law enforcement is dangerous forthe citizenryand, crucially,bad for the armed services themselves.

On thelatter point, thechiefs write that Trump’suse of the military this way “diverts them from their primary mission, which is totrain and to be ready tofight and win the nation’swars and protect communities after disasters. Accordingly,such assignments come at the expense of local, state, and national safety,aswell as troop morale.”

On theformer point, they write that “active-duty National Guard personnel are neither intended nor specifically trained to conduct domestic law enforcement operations.” They then provide several strong examples of how that lack of training “poses adanger to thesafety of the troops and the public.” These dangers arise because of differing standards for use of force, along with unfamiliarity with de-escalation techniques and the proper ways of “conducting criminal investigations.”

O’Keefe, Allen and theother chiefs also sayTrumpisusing thetroops in ways that risk “the politicization of the military,”while also potentially putting themilitary on the wrong side of basic constitutional rights. For example, Trumpspecifically ordered federalization of the National Guard not in response to any specific violence, but “where protests against [Federal]functions[were] occurring or are likely to occur.”

As thechiefs note, protestsalone “are constitutionally protected speech deserving of the highest protection,not intimidation by the military.”

Again, for decades these are theargumentsconservatives have made. The arguments are well rooted in American law and tradition. Today’sRepublicans are wrong to support Trumpwhen he tramples these principles with his show of militarized might not against foreign enemies, but against American citizens.

Email QuinHillyer at quin.hillyer@ theadvocate.com

OK, folks. Here’saslightly differentcreativecaption challenge. Instead of filling in awordballoon, this time come up with thefunniest SLOGAN for this candy barto describe howyou feel aboutthe Saintsseason so far. Remember to keep your slogans shortsotheycan fitinto the area designated on the wrapper.(Roughly15-20 words will work). Be witty,funny,crazy, absurdorsnarky —just try to keep it clean.There’snolimit on the numberofentries. The winningpunchlineslogan will be lettered ontothe candy wrapper andrun on Monday in our print editionsand online. In addition,the winner willreceivea signed printof the cartoon along with acool winner’s T-shirt! Some honorable mentions will alsobelisted. To enter, email entries to cartooncontest@theadvocate.com. Don’t forget! Allentries must include your name, home address andphone number.Cell numbers arebest. The deadline is Thursdayatmidnight. Goodluck. —Walt

In the 1960s, the conservative intellectual James Burnham wroteabook arguing that the decline of Western civilization was aself-imposed choice. The volume, famously called “Suicide of the West,” desperatelyneedstobe updated with an epilogue about theU.S. dependence on China forthe mining andprocessing of rare earths, which ranks as one of themost fantastically stupid and selfdamaging strategicmisstepsof our time.

China is exploiting its advantage in trade talks withthe U.S., restricting the supply of rare earths to gain leverage. Afocus of President Donald Trump’sjust-concluded meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was forging an agreement to jointly invest in criticalminerals projects. There has to be more where that comes from. TheU.S must push on all fronts to address a truly dangerous strategic vulnerability These materials arecrucial for the manufacture of cars, smartphones, drones, medical devices and, most importantly,high-tech weapons. Something like 800 pounds of rare earths go into making an F-35. Between 2019 and 2022,the Government Accountability Office notes, the U.S. imported more than 95% of the rare earths we consumed, overwhelmingly from China.

It’d be one thing if we had such areliance on Norway or Canada, allied nations with which we have noprospect

of amilitary conflict (theoccasional presidential ribbing about annexation aside). Instead, of course, China is an adversary bent on surpassing theUnited States as aglobal power and is the country we are mostly likely to fight against in apotentially ruinous war In the1930s, Imperial Japan imported 80% of its oil from the United Statesatthe sametime it was, insanely,onacollision course with theUnited States. We are repeating this dynamic, except —for no good reason —inthe role of resource-starved Japan.

It’salittle like King Harold requiring the goodwill of Normandytosupply his men with shields in 1066, or Lord Nelson needing French materials to build his shipsofthe line in 1798. It wasn’t so long ago, back in 1991, that the United States was thebiggest supplier of rare earths. Then, China undertook aconcerted, very successful effort to steal themining and processingofrare earths out from under us. As areport in The Wall Street Journal relates, it restricted foreign involvement in mining in China. It handed out tax rebates to goose production. It bought akey U.S. rare-earths business andshipped its equipment to China. In due time, it squeezed out theU.S. rareearths industry and has maneuvered to maintain its dominance since.

It’sbeen industrial policy as highly consequential geo-politics. There is no alternativebut answering in kind, which the Trump administration, to its

credit, is doing now

According to Secretary of Treasury ScottBessent, theadministration will establish aprice floor for the rareearths industry.The defense departmenthas taken an equity stake in our largest rare-earths miner,with more such moves anticipated.Public-private cooperation of the sort that characterized Trump’sOperation Warp Speed is necessary,aswell as the relaxation of permittingand environmental restrictions.

It will takeusyears to make up lost ground, but withenough resources and staying power,this is asolvable problem. Friendly countries have ample supplies of rare earths. It is the processing, over which China has anearmonopoly,that is trickier;itrequires specialized know-how,and it takes considerable time to build facilities. Still, we aren’ttalking about atechnical or logistical challenge on par with, say, theManhattan Project.

Of all the elements of our post-Cold Warvacation from history,when defense spending, geography and supply chains weren’tconsidered so important anymore, the outsourcing of the rareearths industry to China was the most improvident. If nothing else, China’sbrandishing of its rare-earths weapon in the fight over trade is acautionary signal for what might come during amore momentousconflict. We can’tsay we weren’twarned.

Rich Lowry is on X, @RichLowry

President Donald Trump’slatest federal nominee,Louisiana Supreme Court Associate JusticeWill Crain, demonstrates his administration’scontinuing effort reshape more of the judiciary in its image Trump nominated Crain on Mondaytobeafederal judge basedinNew Orleans. His nomination went before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesdaymorning, just two days later.

This is notnormal. Usually,it takesweeksbefore anominee hasa judiciary committee hearing. Thenittakes more time before acommitteevote. Then, if approved by the committee, it takesmoretime before the full Senate considers the nomination.

Why is the president rushing this nomination through?

There arethreevacancies on the federal benchinthe Eastern DistrictofLouisiana. If the U.S. Senate confirms Crain’snomination, he would fill oneofthem.

There’s reason to believe he would become oneofthe most conservative judges on the federal bench. Based on his record of his past rulings, thatconcerns anumber of court watchers.

In onecase, Louisiana’sSupreme Court vacated alife sentence because of ineffective counsel, whenitfound thatthe attorneyfailed to provide mitigating evidence. Crain said so what, issuing adissent.

The nation’sSupreme Court decidedthat unanimous jury verdicts arerequiredunder the Sixth andFourteenth amendments, and the state Supreme Court hadtoconsiderwhether thatdecisionappliedretroactively.Our court decideditdid not, andCrain agreed with the decision.

Igive Crain props for voting with the Louisiana Supreme Court majority to create asecond, majority-Black Supreme Court district. But Iamconcernedabout him sitting in a lifetime judicialjob.

Sen. ChuckGrassley, R-Iowa,chairs the judiciarycommittee.Among the other senators in the Republicanmajority is our own Sen. John Kennedy Ididn’texpect Kennedy and his colleagues to press hard on the Crain nomination. Iexpected themtotoss softballs and questions thatanticipate challenges to his conservative judicialrecord. That’swhat they did. Some Democratic senators brought the fire, raising specific questions about Crain’sjudicial actions andhis cozyrelationship with gasand oil companies.

WilliamC.Snowden, alaw professorat the Loyola University NewOrleans College of Law, told me that there is adeep concern aboutelevating Crain to alifetime federal judicialrole“because of his record on the bench” andbecause he hasfrequently mixed his “personalbeliefs andvalues” with the law. In asocial media post attributed to the president, Trump said Crain “has proven he has the Wisdomand Courage requiredtoput our Constitution, FIRST.Now,morethan ever,we need Judgeswho will hold violent criminals accountable,enforce the Rule of Law,and protect ourInalienable rights.”

SnowdensaidTrump’s“glowing endorsement” is obviously intended “to upset the people theywanttoupset,” those who work for amoreeven-handed and just judicial system.

Christine ChenZinner,the federal research andadvocacy director with the Alliance for Justice, said sincemostcases don’tmakeitto the U.S. Supreme Court, it’simportant which federal justices aredeciding the cases the high court doesn’thear.The Alliance is interestedin“fair-minded” federal judges, not those with “extreme views” like Crain.

Like Chenand Snowden, I’m hoping the judiciarycommittee,and the entire Senate if the nomination moves thatfar,seriously consider the impact of having someone like Crain on the federal bench.

Canthe Crain nomination be stopped?

“I don’tthink so,” Snowden said with asigh, notinthis political environment. Still, sometimeswedon’texpect to win fights thatshould be waged, but it’simportant to bring to light issues that the masses should careabout, so awinning fight canbefought later.

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@theadvocate. com.

Will Sutton

Rich Lowry

Quin Hillyer

LillianZeringueLedet

bornonNovember5,1930 a nativeofSt. James, Louisiana,and aresident ofGramercy, Louisiana was called home on Mon‐day,October 20, 2025, she was 94 yearsold.She is survivedbyher children, Valerie Louque (Chris), Raymond Ledet, Jr.(Pat), Linda Roussel(Timmy) MarshaGarcia(Bud),and DennisLedet (Diane). She had 13 grandchildren: Scott, Shane, Steve, Deanna,Michael,Ryan, Lauri,Tim,Marci,Lane, Sumer,and Regan. She was agreat-grandmother of27. Sheisprecededin death by herbeloved hus‐bandRaymond Ledet, Sr her grandson William Ledet,her parentsAlbert Zeringue, Sr.and Regina WaguespackZeringue, her siblings, ThereseZeringue Folse,Aline Zeringue Bec‐nel,AlbertZeringue, Jr Anna MaeZeringueLedet, and EthelZeringueOubre FuneralServiceswillbe heldFriday, October24, 2025 at St.JosephCatholic Church in Paulina. Visita‐tionwillbefrom9:00amto 11:00 am,followedbya MassofChristian Burial at 11:00 am.Interment will immediatelyfollowatSt. JosephMausoleum.The familywould like to thank the staff of HeartofHos‐piceand ThePearl of Jamestown forthe care and specialattention they gaveour Mom.

Charles Wesley "Bo" Lewis was born on January 20, 1945, in Baton Rouge LA, to the union of Emanuel Leonard Lewis and Dorothy Rollins Green. From ayoungage, he was known for his love of horses, rodeos, and cowboy movies. He spent many days working cattlewith his uncle, Sitman Shelvin, and developed astrong work ethic. He attended St. Francis Xavier Catholic School and graduated from McKinley Senior High School. He graduated from Southern University with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Science. On April 1, 1968, he joined the few, the proud, the United States Marine Corps. On Sunday, October 19, 2025, Bo roped his last steer and turned out his horse. He is survived by his wife, Amy Ann Lewis; children, Kimberly J. Lewis, Charlene Lewis Parker, Charles Wesley Lewis, Jr (Jackie); stepson, Seth Denham (Chelsey); grandchildren, Charles Wesley Lewis, III, Uriah Emanuel Lewis, Jonah Alijah Lewis, Chloe BriannahParker; great-grandchild, Chaslyn Armani Lewis; siblings Shirley L. Henderson,Peggy Green Jackson, Sharon Michelle Green of Baton Rouge, LA, Sherman Michael Green of Crosby TX, Delano Lionel Vantree (Gwendolyn) of Hampton, VA, Patricia Ann Hilland Jewel Frances Johnsonof Dallas, TX, and Addie LaVern Mills of Jena, LA; first cousin, Oscar Joseph Nelson (Bernice) of Los Angeles, CA. He was preceded in death by his parents, Emanuel Leonard Lewis, Sr. and Dorothy Rollins Green (Ruffin); maternal grandparents, Ethel Shelvin Rollins Spotsville and Wesley Rollins; step grandfather, Mack Spotsville, who helped raise him; paternal grandparents, Mackand Hannah Lewis; aunts, Doris Rollins Alcorn (Jerome) Margie Rollins Broussard (Alton),and Bobbie Rollins Ricard (Ray); stepdaughter, Kayla Denham; and mother-in-law, Sandra All. Services for Bo willbe held at Ourso Funeral Home, 13533 Airline Hwy Gonzales, LA. Visiting will be on Thursday, October 23, 2025from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm and on Friday, October 24, 2025 from 9:00 am until the funeral serviceat 10:00 am. He will be laid to rest at Serenity Oaks

Lowe, Suzette Chauvin 'Nana'

Suzette ChauvinLowe, lovingly known as "Nana" by her grandchildren,children, family and friends, passedawayonMonday, October 20, 2025 in the care of Our Lady of the Lake RegionalMedical Center in Baton Rouge,LA. She was aloving wife, grandmother, mother, sister,and neighbor to so many people in her lifetime. She was atrueservant leaderand someone who spent her life caring forothers. Suzette was bornonFebruary3,1950 in New Roads, LAtoSidney and Lottie Belle"Manou" Chauvin and grew up in Erwinville, LA, one of five children.Suzette graduated from Port AllenHigh School in 1968whereshe was involvedinmany activities such as the Highsteppers, cheerleading andEditor-in-Chiefofthe Pelicana.Suzette was namedMissPort Allen High School in 1968.While afreshmanatPort Allen High School she met Jerry Thomas Lowe who became her highschoolsweetheart and eventually her husband for life.Suzette went on to OurLady of the Lake Nursing School in Baton Rouge, LA where she would graduateasa Registered Nurse in December 1970.While there she met many wonderful people who wouldbecome her fellow nursesand lifelong friends to her final day. Sheand Jerry wouldmarry shortly thereafter in January1971atImmaculate Conception Church in Lakeland, LA and settle in Baton Rouge, LA where they started their life together and wouldsoon welcome three wonderful children. Suzette continued her nursingcareer workingfor Dr. James Hannie, alocalpediatrician, as well as servinginmany capacities as aRegistered Nurse at OurLady of the Lake. Jerryand Suzette builttheir dream home on Sunbury Circle inthe Kenilworth neighborhood of Baton Rouge,LAwherethey developed lifelong bonds with their neighbors. During the mid-1990s, Jerry and Suzette moved to the Woodgate neighborhood of Baton Rouge, LA where they wouldonce again be blessed to have awonderful set of neighbors. Suzette's biggest role in life was that of grandmother,whereshe naturally thrived as acaretaker and loving "Nana". She attended everyevent possible, even if in Alabama or Texas, and prioritized her grandchildrenabove anything else in the world. Suzette was aservant leader in life and always fullofenergy for taking care of others. She enjoyed servingthe hungryweekly alongside herfriends and thenuns of the Missionaries of Charity atSt. Agnes Catholic Church in Baton Rouge,LA. Suzette wasa gifted gardener.She had a wonderful skill of writing a note on everypictureor item she couldasshe cherished every little thing that came into herlife. She loved to travel, especially theannualbeach trip with her grandkids and arecent visittoJapan to visit her oldestgrandson who is serving in the U.S. Navy. She is preceded in death by herhusband, Jerry ThomasLowe, the true love of her life who passed awayin2016. Sheissurvived by herthree children, BradleyLowe of Baton Rouge, LA and wife Peggy, Courtney Ydarraga of Hoover, AL, and Natalie Lowe of Dallas,TX; and sevengrandchildren (CameronYdarraga, WilliamYdarraga, Thomas Lowe, Tate Lowe, Parker DeLisa, CollierLowe,and Winston DeLisa). Suzetteis survived by one sibling, Johnnie Belle Chauvin Flynn of Baton Rouge, LA; preceded in death by her two sistersFayeChauvin Moore andLinda Ann Chauvin"Lovie"Hicks,and her brother SidneyT Chauvin. Shehad an immense lovefor her siblings and woulddoanything for them all. She is survivedby brothers-in-lawand sisters -in-law(Steve HicksofBaton Rouge,LA; Terryand il f

Gail Lowe of BatonRouge, LA;Gregory and Cindy Lowe of Port Allen, LA; Bo and Ginger AltazanofBatonRouge,LA; andDavid and Jill SaaleofPort Allen, LA). She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews allofwhom she loveddearly. Suzette is preceded in deathbyher parents. She is also preceded in death by her belovedgrandson, Henry Thomas Lowe,whom she willlay in rest alongside. Visitation willbeheldatSt. Aloysius Catholic Church in BatonRouge,LAon Thursday, October 23, 2025

from9:30 a.m. until 11:00

a.m. followedbya Mass of ChristianBurial at 11:00

a.m. Internment willimmediatelyfollow at Resthaven Gardens of Memory &Funeral Home,Baton Rouge, LA.Inlieuofflowers, donations may be madetoThe Missionaries of Charity, 737 East Boulevard,Baton Rouge, LA 70806 or call the Sisters at (225) 383-8367 to go and volunteer

Psalm 141:8 "But my eyes are fixed on You, O God theLord. In YouI seek refuge; do not leave my soul defenseless."Rodlyn Devall McAdams, 55, of Central, Louisiana, went home to be withthe Lord on Saturday, October 18, 2025, after suffering a heart attack.Rodlynwas a loving and devoted mother whose warmth and kindness touched everyone she met.She had aheart of gold,a deep love for Jesus, and aspecial compassion forpeopleinneed. Her laughter was infectious, her smilecouldlight up a room, and her love forher family and animalswas endless. Rodlynattended Central High School and Bethany ChristianSchool, later earning her Missiology degree from MTI. She also studiedatSoutheastern University. Her faith guided everypart of her life,and her gentle, caring spirit willliveonforeverin theheartsofthose who lovedher. Rodlynissurvivedbyher children, Justin Babin (and his father CalvinBabin), Macy McAdams, and Madison McAdams (Rebecca); her mother, Carolyn Bernard Devall;her brother,Eric Devall (Malana); and her nephews, Garrison, Jameson, and John Hayes Devall.She is preceded in death by her father, Ronnie Devall;sister,Stacy Renee Devall;maternal grandparents, Osborn"Obbie"and Carolyn Jewel Bernard;and paternal grandparents, Eugene &Florence Devall.A visitationwillbeheldon Thursday, October 23, 2025, from9:00 a.m.to11:00 a.m. at Blackwater Methodist Church, 10000 Blackwater Rd,Baker, LA 70714. A memorial servicewillfollowat11:00 a.m.,witha graveside message at 12:30 p.m. at Blackwater Cemetery. Family and friends are invitedtogather in the church fellowship hall following graveside services

It is with profound sorrowthat we announce the passing of Mr. MichaelAnthony McCalopwho departed this earthlylifeon the13thofOctober, in the year of our Lord 2025, at thedistinguished ageof 67. Apublicviewing shall be held in his honoronFriday, the24thofOctober, from9:00 AM to 11:00 AM at WinnfieldFuneral Home. The celebration of life services shallfollow at 11:00 AM. His earthly remains shall be laid to rest at Louisiana National Cemetery in Zachary, Louisiana. The distinguished &

solemnarrangements havebeenentrusted to the care of WinnfieldFuneral Home of Baton Rouge &C D. Slaughter, FDIC.

With deep love and profound sadness, thefamily of Julius Lee"Mack" McCraine Jr. announces his passing on October 14, 2025, at theage of 78. Mack was adevoted husband, loving father, proud veteran, and cherished friend whose kindness,faith,and steady presence enriched thelives of allwho knew him.

BornonFebruary 2, 1947, Mack liveda life defined by love,integrity, and service.After completing his education, he proudly servedhis country in the United States AirForce, where he developeda lifelong sense of discipline, dedication, and honorthat guidedhim throughout his life

He shared alifetime of devotion and companionship with his belovedwife of 48 years, RitaCeleste Ranzino McCraine, building ahome filled with warmth, laughter, and deep affection. Together, they raised four children —Julie Lee McCraine Meyer, Julius Lee McCraine III, Travis Lee McCraine (Katie), and Jeniffer Cecile McCraine, along with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren —who were his greatest pride and joy.

Mack is proceeded in death by his parents, Julius Lee McCraine Sr, and Lolita Cecile JamesMcCraine.

Mack willberemembered forhis gentle heart, quietwisdom, and thelove he freely gave to his family and friends. He had away of making everyone feel welcome —whether througha kind word,a helping hand,orhis comforting presence. Hislegacy of love,humility, and strength willliveoninthe heartsofall who knew him.

He is survivedbyhis devotedwife,Celeste, and children, Julie,Julius Travis (Katie), and Jeniffer, along with many extended family members and dear friends who willforever cherish his memory.

Acelebration of Mack's life will be announced at a laterdate.

Though he may no longer walk besideus, Mack's love,laughter, and light willforeverremainin our hearts.

Troy Milton, 62, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, passed away on October 16, 2025. He was born on May 16, 1963.

Troywas adevoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle,and friend. He willberemembered for hisspirit of love,compassion,and happiness that touched thelives of everyone who knewhim. To knowTroy was to love him, and his presence willbe deeply missed by allwho were blessed to share in his life

Troywas preceded in death by his mother, Doris Moore(Nathaniel Moore Sr.), father AlvinWilliams and son Justin Fefee. He was survivedbyhis wife, Glenda Fefee Milton; children, Troy Cage(Brittany),AlyssaMilton, JourdanMiltonand Thomas Fefee(Jon'Lil); grandchildren; Judah Fefee, TaylorCage, BaileeCage, PaisleeFefee, and Justin Fefee; siblings, Melvia Richard, Lorraine Milton, EmilyMilton, Natasha Joseph, Tracy Collier,Nathaniel MooreJr., Dalwyn Williams and alifelong friend LionelWashington.

Aviewing willbeheld on Friday, October24, 2025, at Hall Davis andSons FuneralHome, followed by burialatHeavenly Gates Cemetery in Baton Rouge

Thefamilywishesto thank everyonefor their love,prayers,and support during this difficult time.A

visitation will be held from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM on 202510-24 at Hall Davis and Sons Funeral Home, 9348 Scenic Hwy.

Agravesideservice will be held at Heavenly Gates Cemetery,10633 Veterans Memorial Blvd

VelmaCrockettPhillips, 82, alifelongresident of Baton Rouge,Louisiana, passed away peacefullyon October13, 2025, surrounded by herlovingfamily. Born May27, 1943, to ClarenceSr. andLucy Crockett,she wasthe secondofseven children. Knownfor hercreativity, generosity, and radiant spirit,she shared hertalents as both adevoted cook and giftedfloral designer

Shewas preceded in death by herparents, ClarenceSr. andLucy Crockett;her brothers ClarenceJr., WarrenSr., andJames Crockett Sr;her granddaughter Brittney Harrington;and herdaughter-in-law Michelle Crump Harrington

Sheissurvivedbyher loving husband James "Minny Boy" Phillips; her childrenEric, Kevin, Bydrick, andLaveris Harrington;her sistersCheryl Crockett andRoseMarie Carter;her brotherAlton Crockett Sr.; tengrandchildren;fivegreat-grandchildren;and ahostofnieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends whowill forever cherish hermemory Afuneral service willbe held from11:00 AM to 1:00 PM on 2025-10-24 at St Paul Catholic Church,3912 Gus Young Ave

James

JamesDonald Shelton, Jr."Don",passed away on Monday, October20, 2025, at the age of 84. Don ownedand operated Baton Rouge SewerService for over 50 years and loved his many loyal customers. Don lovedhis familyand friends, spendingtimeon theriver,frying fish and entertaining crowds. Listening to old country music wasone of hisfavorite pastimes, along with reminiscing aboutthe past.Don is survived by his wife of 24 years, Anne; daughters, Tammy Fillion(Perry), Sheila Stafford (Mark), Tracy McKinley (Richard), and DonnaCallender(Brent); grandchildren, Lucas, Amber, Dustin, Sarah, Emily, Chad, Hilary, Holly, and Clint;15great-grandchildren;3 great-great-grandchildren; siblings, Hope Elmore (Glen), PaulShelton (Velma), Cindy Cooper (Joe), KeithShelton (Tracy), VeldaGuidry, Mark Wakefield, andJimmy Robertson; and ahostof otherloving familymembers. Donisprecededin death by hisdaughter, Jackie Addison; parents, JamesD.Shelton, Sr.and Mamie Hanks; and siblings, Richard,Wayne and George Shelton, Barbara Howansky, Larryand Eddis Wakefield, andLinda Hooper.Visitationwill be at Greenoaks Funeral Home, 9595 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge,LA, on Friday, October24, 2025, from 5pm to 9pm, and will resume at Greenoaks on Saturday, October25, 2025, from 12pm untilthe time of funeralservicesat2pm. Burial will immediatelyfollow at Greenoaks Memorial Park. Familyand friends are invited to sign the online guestbook at www.gre enoaksfunerals.com

Terry, Peggy Elizabeth

PeggyElizabeth Terry transitioned on Friday, September 26, 2025, at the age of 74. She wasbornin Fort Worth, TX, to thelate Professor JamesW.Terry, Sr.and Mildred Terry. In herearly years, shebecame aresident of Baton Rouge,LA. Peggywas a graduate of Southern University LaboratorySchool andwentontoearn her undergraduatedegree from LouisianaState University in Baton Rouge and herMBA from St.Edward's University in Austin, TX. Throughout heraccomplishedcareer, she was employed with Johnson& Johnson, MobilOil,Texas AirForce Base in Wichita Falls, and the Cityof Austin, TX. Shewas a proudmember of Alpha Kappa AlphaSorority, Incorporated, anda devoted parishionerofthe First Presbyterian Church of Scotlandville.Peggyisprecededindeathbyher father andleaves to cherish hermemory herloving mother, Mildred Terry; her brother, JamesTerry,III; andahostofotherrelatives andfriends. Family andfriends are invited to attendthe visitation on Friday, October24, 2025, at The First Presbyterian Church of Scotlandville, 1246 RosenwaldRd., Baton Rouge,LA70807, from 10:00 AM untilthe funeral service at 11:00 AM.Entombment: Heavenly Gates Cemetery.ServicesentrustedtoHallDavis and SonFuneral Service www.halldavisandson.com

Sunrise: July 23,1934,

Sunset: October21, 2025. It iswithdeep submission to the sovereigntyofGod that the Thomas familyan‐nounces thevictorious transitionofMotherIdella Woods Thomas,beloved MotherofMt. Hope Baptist Church. Adevoted woman offaith,grace,and strength, Mother Thomas lived alongand blessed lifeofservice for91years and wasdedicated to her family, church,and com‐munity.MotherThomas was knownfor herradiant smile,elegant presence, and unwavering faith in the Lord.She’s inspired manythrough herstead‐fastspiritand herheart for others. Herpresenceinthe churchand in thelives of those who knew herwill forever be cherished. Offi‐cialarrangementsare as follows:A Celebrationof LifeService will be held on Friday, October24, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at Roberts UnitedMethodist Church 201 JuliaStreet,Denham Springs,Louisiana.The fu‐neral procession will be heldatGreenoaks Memor‐ial Park andMausoleum, 9595Florida Blvd Baton Rouge,Louisiana.A repast willbeheldatthe Pards L.M.LockhartCenter, 320 MartinLutherKingJr. Drive inDenhamSprings Louisiana.Aswewalk through this season,wedo sobydrawing strength fromour praise andthe as‐surance of ourfaith.Our hoperemains steadfastin the Onewho holdsour beloved mother in His arms. Arrangements en‐trusted to MJRFriendly Service FuneralHome

McCraine, Julius Lee'Mack'

Phillips,Velma Crockett

McAdams, Rodlyn Devall

Lewis, Charles WesleyBo

Shelton Jr.,

Donald 'Don'

Milton, TroyMcVernon

McCalop,Michael Anthony

Pels show fight but fall short in opener

BY ROD WALKER Staff writer

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — If Joe Dumars wanted to see the toughness and grit from the New Orleans Pelicans that he promised, he saw it in the season opener But the victory he wants to see will have to wait for another day

The new-look Pelicans showed plenty of fight in Wednesday night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies, but it wasn’t quite enough.

The Dumars’ era started the same way the David Griffin era ended — with a loss.

This one, much like many of the ones in last year’s dismal season, was the result of the Pelicans being unable to finish what they started.

The Pelicans completely collapsed in the third quarter, then scrapped back into it before losing 128-122 to the Grizzlies.

The Pelicans were outscored 41-22 in the third quarter before making it a game in the fourth. But the Grizzlies, who swept

ä See PELICANS, page 6C

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By BRANDON DILL Pelicans forward Zion Williamson handles the ball in the first half of a season-opening game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday in Memphis, Tenn.

Numbers say LSU receivers dropping passes at alarming rate

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

LSU’s last chance to steal a win from Vanderbilt fizzled out when its offense couldn’t convert a manageable third down late in the fourth quarter

The Tigers needed 8 yards. Though Garrett Nussmeier faced pressure from the right side, he managed to fire a pass to an open receiver Barion Brown had the separation. He just needed to adjust to a slightly underthrown ball and make the catch for what should have been a 10-yard gain. But the pass flew through his hands and bounced off of the turf instead, forcing LSU to punt It was the Tigers’ second and final drop of the day Their offense never got the ball back.

“When you look at the body of work,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said, “it hasn’t been a group that has been sloppy and dropping the football and has caused us to come up short against Ole Miss and Vanderbilt

“But having said that, it’s certainly something that we want to be flawless at.”

LSU could move the ball last season It finished 2024 ranked 25th among FBS teams in total offense (432 yards per game) and 35th in yards per play (6.19).

But the No. 20 Tigers (5-2) have taken a sizable step backward.

They will enter their matchup with No. 3 Texas A&M on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ABC) ranked 83rd in total offense (367) and 64th in yards per play (5.79). They’re not turning red-zone trips into touchdowns. They’re not running the ball efficiently They’re not completing enough passes downfield, and, crucially, they’re dropping too many passes.

Only one SEC team has more drops this season than LSU, according to Pro Football Focus data, and just two have dropped a higher percentage of their offense’s pass attempts.

In 2024, LSU receivers dropped just 4.3% (23) of the offense’s 534 total passes.

Through the first seven games of 2025, the Tigers have

ä See LSU, page 3C

‘Intelligent’ Saints rookie Neal set for bigger role

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

of the

glasscleaners in the

ä Mississippi College at LSU

7 P.M.THURSDAy, SECN+

of women’s college basketball. But both have moved on to the WNBA in consecutive seasons, and the No. 5 Tigers must begin their 2025-26 campaign — starting at 7 p.m. Thursday with an exhibition

Mississippi College (SEC Network+) at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center without one player (or two) who can gobble up most of the boards.

“So, let’s do it collectively,” coach Kim Mulkey said. Reese finished both of her seasons at LSU with one of the two highest rebounding averages among Division I players Morrow pulled down 1,714 career boards — the

ä See REBOUNDERS, page 3C

Running back to see more playing time following the loss of Miller to an ACL injury

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

Throughout the year, Devin Neal will take what he calls a “phone cleanse.” The rookie running back for the New Orleans Saints gets off social media. He won’t answer his phone unless it’s an emergency, or his parents and coaches are trying to reach him. He’ll avoid the device as much as possible to help clear his mind.

But after the biggest play of his young career Neal just so happened not to be participating in one of these cleanses. And even if he had been, the near-constant buzz from his device would have been too hard to ignore anyway

“It was a lot of people man,” Neal said. The people in his life wanted to talk about the block. In Sunday’s loss to the Chicago Bears, Neal stood on the right side of quarterback Spencer Rattler when he noticed an unblocked Jaquan Brisker flying in off a blitz. In a split second, Neal

turned to lower his body and boom! The 22-year-old collided with the Bears safety to push him off course allowing Rattler to step into the pocket and avoid the hit.

“He’s one of the smarter guys rookiewise, running back-wise — that I’ve been around,” Rattler said of Neal. “He’s really intelligent.”

“That’s my responsibility, especially in that protection,” Neal said.

Neal’s responsibilities will increase after last weekend. The Saints lost backup running back Kendre Miller to a season-ending ACL injury, which puts Neal next in line to see playing time behind Alvin Kamara. Neal said he’s ready for the moment. Though he wasn’t drafted until the sixth round in April, Neal had a productive college career He became Kansas’ all-time leading rusher in part because he was the first Jayhawk to rush for more than 1,000 yards in three straight seasons.

The Saints liked Neal for his blocking, but they liked what he can do as a runner, too.

LSU wide receiver Aaron Anderson tries to grab the ball after it was tipped in the first quarter of a game against Louisiana Tech on Sept 6 at Tiger Stadium. STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

6:30 p.m. South Alabama at Georgia St. ESPN2 MEN’S COLLEGE HOCKEY

6p.m. WesternMichiganatMichigan BTN WOMEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER

5p.m.Florida State at Virginia ACC

7p.m. Notre Dame at Virginia Tech ACC GOLF

6:30a.m. DP WorldTour:The GenesisGolf

COLLEGEFOOTBALL

Unsung heroes contributing for No.3Aggies

BY KRISTIE RIEKEN AP sportswriter

COLLEGE STATION, Texas When redshirt freshman Ashton Bethel-Roman led No.3Texas A&M in receivinglast weekend, itwas a breakout performancethatillustrated the depth of the Aggies.

As Texas A&M preparestovisit No. 20 LSU (5-2) on Saturday,the Aggies know thatthe contributions of role players will be important as they chase theirfirst national title since 1939.

“Wegot abunch of guys on offense that could do anything with theball on any given day,” receiver Terry Bussey said. “Everybody is just ready to step upwhentheir number is called.”

Bethel-Roman had catches in just three games this season with 86 yardsreceiving before Saturday’sperformance in which he had 83 yards receiving and his firsttouchdown of theyear.His work helped the Aggies to a4542 win at Arkansas that improved their record to 7-0 for the firsttimesince1994.

He said waiting for his turn was abit tough, buthewas glad tofinally contribute in abig way “It feels great because everyone in that lockerroom over there candoanything,” he said. “That’swhat we cameheretodo, play football at ahighlevel. So,atfirstitcan get a little frustrating, but it’spart of the game. It’s ateam sport. When our number’scalled,we just play up to our standard.”

Coach MikeElkosaid hespoke to his team about the importance of thiskindofattitude after Saturday’sgame and againinateam meetingthisweek.

“When you talk about whata championship program looks like,that’s what it lookslike,” he said.

“It looks like abunch of guys bought into being ready whenit’stime.”

Elkomust remind his players of this concept often, especially on offense where they’re always approaching him to tellhim they’re not getting the ball enough.

He shared what he tells thoseplayers.

“There’sgoing to come atimewhere when thegame’sonthe line, the ball’sgoing to come to you, and your challenge is you have to be ready to make that play,”hesaid. “I don’t know when it’sgoing to be.Idon’t know how it’s going to happen, but you havetobeready to make that play,because inevitably that play might be the differencebetween us winning and losing, and might be the difference betweenusgoing to the playoffs or not. That’s what football is.”

And it isn’tjust younger players on the team that fit into the role player mold.Sixthyearsenior running back EJ Smith, the son of NFL Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith, also came up big for the Aggies on Saturdayin the first game since former Istrouma High star Le’Veon Moss suffered an ankle injury that has himout indefinitely Smith had seven carries for 52 yards both season-highs —againstArkansas. After theRazorbacks cut the lead to threepoints early in the fourth quarter, Smith’s2-yard run on fourth and 1kept adrive alive that led to TexasA&M’sfinaltouchdown thatsecured the win.

“E.J. Smith’s not having all ofthe limelight he dreamed of having going into hissenior year I’m sure,” Elkosaid.“I’msurehewishes he was the feature back carrying the ball 20 times agame. But …here it is, fourth and 1at Arkansas, in our ownterritory,and he’s gotto convert, and that’sachampionshipplay.That play and that player will have as much to do with our success as anyone.”

Elko values playerslike that just as much as the stars of his team. He said the unselfishness on his team has helped propel the Aggies to their undefeated start. And as Texas A&M heads to Baton Rouge on Saturday for thesecond of three straight road games and tries to win in Louisiana for thefirst time since 1994, Elko expects these unsung heroes to continue to help.

BROADCASTHIGHLIGHTS

4p.m. PGATour:Bank of Utah Golf

9p.m. LPGA Tour:Hanwha International Golf HORSE RACING

America’sDay at the Races FS2 NBA

6:40 p.m. Oklahoma City at Indiana ESPN 9:05 p.m. Denver at Golden State ESPN HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

7p.m. Jennings at Notre Dame Cox4 NFL

7:15 p.m.Minnesota at L.A. Chargers PRIME MEN’S SOCCER

11:40 a.m.Aston Villa at Go Ahead Eagles CBSSN

2p.m.Porto at Nottingham Forest CBSSN WOMEN’S SOCCER

6p.m.Friendly: U.S. vs.Portugal TNT TENNIS

8:30 p.m.Basel-ATP,Vienna-ATP Tennis

HIGH SCHOOLS

looks to block against Central on FridayinCentral.

District racestightening as Week 8approaches

BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

With just three games left in the regular season, the hunt for adistricttitle tightens for many football teams.

Here’salook at some of the closest district races around the Baton Rouge area entering Week 8.

District 5-5A

The district is usually one of themost competitive in the state,and this year is no different.

East Ascension (5-2, 3-1) andPrairieville (4-3, 3-1) share thesame district record, but theHurricanes won the head-to-head matchup 44-27.

Both schools have seen major turnarounds afterthe Spartans and Hurricanesfinished with losing records last year Denham Springs (5-2, 2-1) and Dutchtown (4-2,2-1) are right behind. The Yellow Jackets felltoEast Ascensionearly in the season 26-20, but areone of the hottest teams in the district Denham Springs has won its pastthree games, including a42-24 win over Dutchtown. The Yellow Jacketsare averaging 48.7 points per game during thewin streak.

District 4-5A

Thiswas anotherdistrict that sawa major shakeup after Week 7.

Catholic took downCentral 57-28 to move to 5-2 and2-0 in districtplay. TheWildcats dropped to5-2, 1-1.

Zacharywas thelastundefeatedteaminthe district before falling at home to Liberty 5231. The shocking upset dropped the Broncos to 5-1, 1-1.

Volleyball Wednesday’s results ThriveAcademydef. LouisianaSchool for theDeaf (17-25, 25-17, 25-14, 25-14) Slaughter Charter def. Capitol (25-6, 25-6, 25-8) Ascension Catholic def. Ascension Christian (25-19, 25-15, 25-15) Central def. Baton Rouge High (25-21, 25-16, 25-8) East Ascension def. Thibodaux (25-21, 25-14, 25-17) Catholic High Pointe Coupee def. False River (25-16,25-11, 25-9) Madison Prep def. Livonia(25-13, 2325, 25-22, 25-10) Central Private def. Northeast (25-7, 25-6, 25-2) Plaquemine def. McKinley (25-17, 25-16, 25-21) Assumption def. Prairieville (25-17, 25-13, 16-25, 25-23) Southern Lab def. North Iberville(2511, 25-14, 25-6) West Feliciana def. St. Helena (25-10, 25-4, 25-12) Madison Prep3,Livonia 1 MadisonPrep25232522 Livonia13252210

Team leaders: MADISONPREP: Taylor (35 kills, 12 digs), Leah Rodgers(15 kills, dig), Tabrina Kngihten (20 kills, 11 digs) Central 3, Baton RougeHigh 0 Central252525 Baton Rouge High21168

Team leaders: CENTRAL: Addison Guy (10 kills,2 digs,2blocks), Kynlee

TheBears’win over Centralcoupledwith Zachary’s lossputsCatholic in agood spot to takethe district title.

District 6-3A

The district looks to be atwo-horse race between one of the topteams in the Baton Rouge area and ateam building momentum. Madison Prep (6-1, 3-0)isona four-game winning streak. The Chargers scored more than50pointsinthree of the four wins. Its district record has it tiedwith University High (5-2, 3-0), who has also wonits past four games.

TheCubs have won allfourgames by double digitsand are averaging 51.3 points per game over the win streak.

Lastyear’sgameended in a14-6 win forthe Chargers. This season’smatchup, set forOct. 31, could provetobeathriller with adistrict title on theline.

District 8-1A

Another district that appears to come down to twoschoolsisDistrict 8-1A. NorthIberville (7-0, 2-0) has yettolose agame this season, but will have itsrecord tested by the reigning district champion Ascension Catholic.

The Bulldogs (5-2, 2-0) have wonthree straight games after defeating St. John 57-35. Running back Trevin Simon ran for519 yards and seven touchdowns in the winand is at the topofthe state in yards rushing with 1,879 yards.

The Bears’ offense, averaging 40 points per game,willlooktokeep up with aBulldogs’ team thathas had littletrouble moving the ball on the ground.

The two sides will play this Friday at North Iberville. Ascension Catholic won last year’s game56-14.

PREP REPORT

Rheams (34assists,7digs, 2aces, 2 blocks, kill),Madison Eastwood (12 kills, 6digs,4aces, 3blocks); BATON

ROUGE HIGH: SofiaLarenas (12kills 9digs, ace, block), Amelia Morgan (13assists, 7digs, ace),McKenzie Hamilton (6 kills,6 digs, ace) ParkviewBaptist 3, Newman 0 Parkview Baptist262625 Newman242421 Team leaders: PARKVIEW BAPTIST: Jana Thymes (23kills,ace, 12 digs, 2 blocks), Aadyn Polk (kill, 36 assists, ace, 4digs),Kennedy Otwell (kill, assist, 16 digs) Thursday’s matches BelaireatBroadmoor, 5p.m. GEONext Generation at Glen Oaks 5p.m. Baker at East Iberville,5 p.m. Scotlandville at McKinley,5p.m. Capitol at ThriveAcademy, 5p.m. Liberty at Baton Rouge High, 6p.m. Tara at Brusly,6 p.m. Lafayette Christian at Catholic High Pointe Coupee, 6p.m. Zachary at Central, 6p.m. White Castle at Family Christian, 6 p.m. Episcopal at Live Oak,

Commanders’ Daniels out; veteran Mariota to start WASHINGTON Quarterback JaydenDaniels will miss the Washington Commanders’ game at the Kansas City Chiefs because of an injuredright hamstring and Marcus Mariota will start in his place, aperson with knowledge of the situation said Wednesday Washington (3-4) has lost two games in arow heading into the contest at Kansas City (4-3). Daniels, aformer LSU star,had an MRI exam aday after leaving in the third quarter of Washington’s44-22 loss at the NFC EastrivalDallasCowboys on Sunday. He grabbedatthe back of his right legwhile limpingoff thefieldafter getting sacked and fumbling. Daniels,the AP NFL Offensive Rookieofthe Year last season, alreadyhas missedtwo games this season because of an injury to his left knee, on which he’sbeen wearing abrace.

NCAA to allow college athletes to bet on pros

The NCAA approveda rule change on Wednesday that will allow athletes and athletic departmentstaffmembers to bet on professional sports.

Twoweeks after the Division Icabinet approved the change, Division II and III management councils signed off on it, allowing the newrule to go into effect Nov.1

This doesn’tchange the NCAA rule forbidding athletes frombetting on college sports. The NCAA also prohibits sharing information aboutcollege competitionswith bettors.

The institution also doesn’tacceptadvertising or sponsorships of NCAA championships by betting sites.

Florida baseballcoach O’Sullivan taking leave

Florida baseball coach Kevin O’Sullivanwill takea leave of absence to address personal matters effectiveimmediately,the school said Wednesday Associate head coach ChuckJeroloman will take over O’Sullivan’s dutiesonaninterim basis.

O’Sullivan is theprogram’salltime wins leader with a756-371 (.671) record in 18 seasons. He has led the Gators to 17 NCAA regionals, nine College World Series appearances, six Southeastern Conference championships and the 2017 national title.

In August, theNCAADivisionI Baseball Committee issued apublic reprimand to O’Sullivan for aggressive behaviorand profanity-laced language directed at site administratorsfor the regional in Conway, South Carolina, in June.

Water-deprived PGA Tour

stop in Maui canceled

ThePGA Tour is canceling its season opener at TheSentry instead of finding areplacement course for water-deprivedKapaluaonMaui, the firsttimea tournament has been canceled sincethe COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

The Sony Open in Honolulu will be the first tournament of 2026 on Jan. 15-18, the latest start to ayear since the PGATour wasformed in 1969.

Thetour and Wisconsin-based Sentry Insurance had contemplated other courses to stage the $20 million signature event for PGA Tour winners andthose fromthe top 50 in the FedEx Cup. Instead, they chose not to play it at all.

NFL analystSanchez’s trial date setfor Dec. 11 INDIANAPOLIS An Indianapolis judgeonWednesday confirmed Dec. 11 as the trial date for Fox Sports analyst and former NFL player Mark Sanchez,who’s chargedwithattacking and seriously injuring atruck driver outside ahotelinwhatprosecutors say was adispute over aparkingplace. Thepretrialconferencelasted only about 21/2 minutes. Sanchez, who wasmore seriously hurt in the confrontation, was not required to be present and did not enter aplea. Most of those dates were set earlier,but they’re all subject to change. DeLaney said Sanchez’s recovery process is ongoing and mayimpact the schedule. Prosecutors expressed doubt afterward that Dec. 11 is arealistic trial date. Defense attorneys left without taking questions from reporters.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MICHAEL WOODS

Texas A&M widereceiver Ashton BethelRoman catches atouchdown pass behind Arkansas defensiveback Kani Walker on SaturdayinFayetteville, Ark.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

Catholic High quarterback Baylor Graves keeps the ball on arun up the middle as tight end

HayesSchramm

Olave among key players to miss practice

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

Three key New Orleans Saints players did not participate in Wednesday’s practice ahead of the team’s Week 8 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Wide receiver Chris Olave (ankle), defensive back Alontae Taylor (personal) and defensive end Chase Young (illness) were all absent from practice Another starter, tight end Juwan Johnson, was limited with a neck injury and wore a red noncontact jersey

Olave briefly left last week’s game against the Chicago Bears, but he never went to the blue injury tent on the sideline and later re-entered the game. He’s coming off his best performance of the season, catching five passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns.

Running back Alvin Kamara (ankle) also was a limited participant in practice. Kamara suffered his ankle injury in the Saints’ win against the New York Giants and has now appeared on the injury report for three consecutive weeks

Defensive tackle John Ridgeway (shoulder) was a full participant in practice, and coach Kellen Moore said he will be added to the active roster this week. Ridgeway opened the season on injured reserve, and Wednesday was the deadline for the Saints to activate him.

On the Buccaneers’ side, a whopping 11 players did not participate in practice, though Wednesday was just a walk-through after Tampa Bay played Monday night against the Detroit Lions.

Among the nonparticipants for the Buccaneers were star rookie

receiver Emeka Egbuka (hamstring), wide receiver Chris Godwin (fibula), running back Bucky Irving (foot/ shoulder), pass rusher Haason Reddick (ankle/knee), safety Antoine Winfield (toe) and linebacker Lavonte David (knee/rib).

Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said Wednesday that both Irving and Godwin would not play against the Saints.

Brees advances Saints legend Drew Brees is one step closer to being enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first

year of eligibility.

Brees was one of 52 modernera players to advance to the next round of the Hall of Fame’s voting process. He is one of eight players to advance this far in his first year of eligibility, joining Larry Fitzgerald, Philip Rivers, Jason Witten, Frank Gore, LeSean McCoy, Greg Olsen and Maurkice Pouncey

Of the group, Brees certainly has the best shot at earning a gold jacket in his first opportunity

Only Tom Brady threw for more yards or touchdowns than Brees, who finished his career with 80,358

Payton clarifies postgame comments were about QB Dart, not Wilson

BY ARNIE STAPLETON

AP pro football writer

DENVER Denver Broncos coach

Sean Payton insists his recent comments were a shout-out to Jaxson Dart, not a shot at Russell Wilson.

Payton said after Denver’s historic 33-32 comeback win on Sunday that the Giants “found a little spark with” Dart, who became the starter, and hinted that part of a conversation he had with New York owner John Mara included wanting to face Wilson instead Wilson fired back Tuesday, calling Payton — for whom he played one ill-fated season in 2023 — “classless” and taking a swipe at Payton for the New Orleans Saints’ “Bounty Gate” scandal in 2009-11.

On Wednesday, Payton said it was all a misunderstanding. “Look, the euphoria, the way that game unfolded, that was strictly about Dart,” Payton said of his postgame comments. “That was in no way shape or form anything that was directed at Russ. And I might be able to see how he might perceive that” it was. “But, coming off that win and watching how he (Dart) played, yeah, that wasn’t any intention at all.” Wilson lost his starting job to Dart after an 0-3 start, and Payton said after the game, “I was talk-

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C

“Great vision, good cut,” Saints coach Kellen Moore said. “He’s got a good balance to him. He just had a good feel for the run game.” To this point, Neal’s workload had been relatively limited. Any chance he had in pushing for more playing time was derailed in training camp when a hamstring injury sidelined him for two weeks By the time he returned, Miller had solidified the No. 2 job. But Neal said even when he was injured, he was still prepared. He sat in meetings and learned the playbook. From a physical standpoint Neal said he wasn’t too hampered by the injury upon his return. He felt winded in his preseason debut, he said, but then felt “perfectly fine” after that From there, Neal was part of a numbers crunch. He played seven offensive snaps in New Orleans’ opener but was a healthy scratch over the next four games. He got back in the lineup to play special teams in a Week 6 loss to the New England Patriots and then played again the following week against the Bears.

ing to John Mara not too long ago and I said, ‘We were hoping that change would’ve happened long after our game.’ “

Many, including Wilson, saw that as a shot at the backup quarterback, who was benched by Payton for the final two games of the 2023 season in Denver

“Classless… but not surprised….” Wilson said on X, formerly Twitter. “Didn’t realize you’re still bounty hunting 15+ years later through the media.”

Wilson’s own jab at Payton referenced the “Bounty Gate” scandal with the Saints. The NFL in 2012 found the team was rewarding players for hits on opponents with intent to injure, and Payton was suspended for a year

Wilson joined the Broncos via trade from Seattle in 2022 and signed a five-year, $245 million extension. They went 4-11 in his first season before Denver hired Payton, who was returning to coaching following a stint in broadcasting. Payton benched Wilson for the final two games of the 2023 season.

Wilson was released to put an end to the ugly breakup between a veteran coach and player who had each won the Super Bowl separately Wilson’s release saddled the Broncos with an NFL-record $85 million dead cap charge which was spread out over last year ($53 million) and this season ($32 million).

Wilson spent last season with Pittsburgh but was injured when the Steelers beat the Broncos 13-6 behind Justin Fields in Week 2.

The Broncos replaced Wilson with Jarrett Stidham, then drafted Bo Nix with the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft On Sunday, Nix became the first quarterback in the league’s 104year history to run and throw for multiple touchdowns in a fourth quarter

Payton drew a penalty for running onto the field in the final minute Sunday when a flag came flying in on Riley Moss’ breakup of a pass to Beaux Collins near the goal line. That moved the ball from the 2 to the 1, and Dart scored on a keeper with 37 seconds left Kicker Jude McAtamney missed his second extra point of the game, leaving the Giants ahead 32-30 and providing the opening for Nix to move the Broncos into field goal range in just 35 seconds for Wil Lutz’s game-winning 39-yard field goal as time expired.

Saints running back Devin Neal warms up before a preseason game against the Denver Broncos on Aug. 23 at the Caesars Superdome.

In Chicago, Neal again played seven offensive snaps. He needed only one to make an impact. On his block of Brisker, perhaps the most impressive aspect of the play was that it came from an unscouted look. The Bears ran that type of Brisker blitz for the first time to try and catch New Orleans off guard, but Neal processed the sequence fast enough to make the adjustment. “That showed up in the college film from Devin, which was a little

bit of an impressive aspect (of his game),” Moore said. “His ability to protect, we felt like that would give him a head start compared to a lot of guys coming from college, where protection necessarily isn’t part of their tools.” That head start has put Neal in a position in which the Saints now are counting on him, but Neal said he’s more than prepared for his opportunity He just might have to turn his phone off first.

Mayfield:

‘I hate the Saints’

In Week 18 last season, the last time the Saints and Buccaneers played, Tampa Bay called a pass play in the closing seconds of a 2719 win in order to push receiver Mike Evans to his eighth consecutive 1,000-yard season. The play was not without some minor controversy, as the Buccaneers were in position to kneel out the clock. Earlier this summer, during an appearance on the “Pardon My Take” podcast, Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield was asked whether he regretted anything about the play

“I hate the Saints. Absolutely not, no,” Mayfield said. “We were making the playoffs. It’s a situation where you take a knee, go to the playoffs. But we decided to throw it on first and 10 just to get Mike the 1,000 yards.”

Asked about that comment by Tampa Bay media corps this week, Mayfield doubled down, suggesting the Saints played dirty against the Buccaneers.

yards passing and 571 touchdowns.

Brees has four of the top eight individual seasons by passing yards in NFL history, was the MVP of Super Bowl XLIV and led the Saints to a 142-86 record in his 15 years as the franchise quarterback. Brees is not the only player with Saints or New Orleans connections on the list. Former All-Pro guard and current member of the Saints coaching staff Jahri Evans also made the cut, as did former New Orleans players Lorenzo Neal and Olin Kreutz and New Orleans native Reggie Wayne

“It hasn’t exactly been clean play from their part when we play them,” Mayfield said. “It’s a physical game, it is what it is. You expect it, division rival. Not much else to say besides the fact that I don’t like them.”

Mayfield has produced at an MVP level for Tampa Bay this season, throwing for 13 touchdowns against just two interceptions while leading the Buccaneers to a 5-2 record. He’s had the Saints’ number since signing with the Buccaneers before the 2023 season going 3-1 against them.

Reeling Vikings, Chargers try to fix woes in short order

BY DAN GREENSPAN Associated Press

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — It’s not just the short week that has the Los Angeles Chargers and Minnesota Vikings feeling lousy going into their Thursday night showdown, but it certainly starts there.

“It’s a physical grind. It’s a mental grind,” Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz said of the quick turnaround. “I don’t think anybody goes from playing one game on Sunday to Thursday and actually feels good. It’s just, ‘How good can you get yourself feeling?’ ” Whoever comes out on top in a showdown of staggered underachievers should be feeling a lot better going into the weekend.

The Chargers (4-3) have lost three of their past four games, in part because of an injury-riddled offensive line The Vikings (33) have dropped as many games through seven weeks as they did during the entire 2024 regular season, with iffy quarterback play and health looming large.

For Wentz, he has even less time to get his injured left non-throwing shoulder back into game shape. He was hurt in a Week 5 win vs. Cleveland but was able to manage it in a 28-22 loss to Philadelphia on Sunday, throwing for 313 yards with two interceptions as the Vikings continued to alternate between victories and defeats.

“I’ve been really encouraged by how fast he turned over and really didn’t have any more setbacks or anything other than the normal soreness after a physical game like that,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said of Wentz, who will make his fifth consecutive start as J.J. McCarthy didn’t have enough time this week to fully overcome the ankle injury that has kept him sidelined.

The Chargers will hope to get left tackle Joe Alt back after he missed the past three games with a sprained ankle. Right tackle Trey Pipkins (knee) could also return from a two-game absence, with coach Jim Harbaugh char-

ä Vikings at Chargers, 7:15 P.M.THURSDAy PRIME

acterizing the availability of both blockers as a “day-of-game decision.”

The presence of one or both tackles would significantly boost the chances of keeping quarterback Justin Herbert upright and opening holes in the run game for an offense that has been scrambling for cohesion.

Offensive coordinator Greg Roman said the swift turnaround from the Bolts’ 38-24 loss to Indianapolis means they’re planning as if both tackles will not play.

“The game was over, what, somewhere around 4 (p.m. Sunday). By 5:30, you know deep into studying that Philadelphia-Minnesota game and burning the midnight oil,” Roman said. “Not a lot of time, got to get a lot of things compressed into one week, from one week into three days basically.”

The Vikings allowed Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts to post the first perfect passer rating of his career last week, thanks in part to a handful of huge gains behind shrewd play calls and star players that caught the Vikings in tough spots at bad times. Hurts had five completions greater than 25 yards, including a 79-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith. Finding ways to get former LSU star Justin Jefferson the ball through constant double teams is a weekly challenge for O’Connell and the Vikings, but Wentz has done an effective job of spreading the ball around in his four starts — particularly with developing a rhythm with Jordan Addison. He has been targeted 26 times in the three games since he returned from a suspension, with a careerhigh nine catches for 128 yards last week against the Eagles.

“Chemistry is easy when you’re open by 5 or 10 yards,” Wentz said. “I’ve developed a ton of confidence in him and his ability to get in and out of breaks and put a lot of stress on those DBs.”

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Saints wide receiver Chris Olave fails to catch the ball as New England Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones defends during a game at the Caesars Superdome on Oct. 12.

AP PHOTO By GREGORy BULL

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is tackled by Indianapolis Colts defensive end Laiatu Latu, left, and defensive tackle Grover Stewart on Sunday in Inglewood, Calif

Payton

Wilson

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts celebrates in the dugout after scoring against the Milwaukee Brewers during Game 4 of the National League Championship Series on Friday in Los Angeles If the Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series, it would be their third title in six years.

ASSOCIATED PRESS By

ASHLEy LANDIS

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

Defining greatness

Baseball could be in the midst of a Dodgers dynasty

BY RONALD BLUM AP baseball writer

TORONTO Baseball could

be in the midst of a Dodgers dynasty, a much-debated word reserved for teams achieving sweeping success.

By beating Toronto in the World Series that starts Friday night, Los Angeles would capture its third title in six years.

“Just winning one is hard,” Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “If you can get three in a matter of five, six years, I guess you could say it is one. But I think it’s the sustained winning that the Dodgers have done for so long and then obviously to cement it with some championships, I think, yeah, I guess you can call this if we do it a modern-day dynasty.” Baseball has no widely accepted definition.

Most give pantheon status to the 1949-53 New York Yankees (five straight titles), the 1936-39 Yankees (four), the 1972-74 Oakland Athletics (three) and the 1998-2000 Yankees (three)

WORLD SERIES GLANCE

had 106 victories the year they finished second.

“There has to be lines of demarcation once you go to wild cards and then especially once you expand the playoffs as they’ve now been expanded,” Costas said.

— the last team to win consecutive championships. The Dodgers are the first reigning champion to reach the World Series since the 2009 Philadelphia Phillies.

“If I was broadcasting, I would not refer to them as a dynasty,” Emmy-winning commentator Bob Costas said. “You can compare them to the Braves who won 14 divisions in a row but got to the World Series five times and lost it four of those five times.”

Yet he is willing to consider using the word because times have changed. The Dodgers have won 12 of the past 13 NL West titles and

“If you’re thinking about going to the postseason and obviously having a chance to win World Series year after year, I guess that would kind of qualify as some type of dynasty, but I don’t know what it takes to call it that,” he said.

Mookie Betts, who has been with the Dodgers since 2020, said he’s more concerned about preparing for games than contemplating the team’s historical place.

“If you’re thinking about going to the postseason and obviously having a chance to win World Serieses year after year, I guess that would kind of qualify as some type of dynasty but I don’t know what it takes to call it that,” he said.

Since the expansion era started, the only consecu-

tive titles have been won by the 1961-62 Yankees, the mid-70s A’s, the 1975-76 Cincinnati Reds, the 197778 Yankees the 1992-93 Toronto Blue Jays and the latecentury Yankees. Earlier back-to-back titles also were won by the 190708 Chicago Cubs, 1910-11 Philadelphia A’s, 1915-16 Red Sox, 1921-22 New York Giants, 1927-28 Yankees and 1929-30 A’s.

John Thorn, Major League Baseball’s official historian, said he thinks sustained success is sufficient to earn the dynasty honorific, even if every year didn’t result in a title.

“I think a dynasty is today defined by consecutive pennants or division titles won, not by World Series championships,” he wrote in an email.

“So I think the Atlanta Braves of recent years, the Detroit Tigers of 1907-09, or the Giants of 1911-1913, are in. Three straight (World Series) appearances, rather than three straight titles, does it for me.”

Springer’s drive had huge impact

Giants hire Vols’ Vitello as manager

BY JANIE McCAULEY AP baseball writer

The San Francisco Giants hired Tennessee Volunteers coach Tony Vitello as manager for his first pro coaching job.

San Francisco announced the move Wednesday an unprecedented gamble by president of baseball operations Buster Posey on a coach with no pro experience. The 47-year-old Vitello is making the jump after spending his entire career at the collegiate level.

“Tony is one of the brightest, most innovative and most respected coaches in college baseball today,” Posey said “Throughout our search, Tony’s leadership, competitiveness and commitment to developing players stood out.”

Posey said the Giants look forward to the energy and direction Vitello brings with his passion for baseball aligning with the club’s values.

“I’m incredibly honored and grateful for this opportunity,” Vitello said in the Giants’ announcement.

“I’m excited to lead this group of players and represent the San Francisco Giants. I can’t wait to get started and work to establish a culture that makes Giants’ faithful proud.”

Vitello has guided the Volunteers to regular success in the Southeastern Conference since being hired in June 2017. That included leading the program to its first NCAA title last year to go with six regional appearances, five NCAA super regional berths and three College World Series trips.

He has had 10 players from Tennessee selected in the first round and 52 Vols overall in MLB’s amateur draft. That includes Giants outfielder Drew Gilbert.

ter two years, and Posey quickly ruled out beloved longtime Giants skipper Bruce Bochy as an option to replace him once Bochy parted ways with Texas following a three-year managerial stint. The Giants finished 8181 for one more victory than in Melvin’s first year. They haven’t reached the postseason since winning the NL West with a franchise-record 107 victories to edge the rival Dodgers by one game in 2021 under then-skipper Gabe Kapler San Francisco is getting a colorful and brash manager in Vitello. The NCAA suspended Vitello twice during his Tennessee tenure, first for spending too much time arguing a call in 2018. During that two-game suspension, he raised money for charity with a pizza and lemonade stand while the Vols played. Chest-bumping an umpire in 2022 led to a fourgame suspension, and Vitello spent that time working with a Tennessee fraternity offering a chest bump to anyone donating $2 to the Wounded Warriors Project.

Vitello isn’t a stranger to Northern California. In 2002, he was associate head coach of the Salinas Packers in the California Collegiate League. The team went 50-14 and reached the National Baseball Congress World Series in Wichita, Kansas. He played three seasons at Missouri as an infielder and began his coaching career there before stints at TCU and Arkansas, the last where he was hitting coach. A native of St. Louis, Vitello went 341–131 at Tennessee. In his second season in 2019, he led the Vols to their first NCAA berth since 2005. Vitello then led the Vols to their first national title in baseball, winning the 2024 College World Series.

Series game

Toronto DH’s homer one of biggest plays in non-World

BY NOAH TRISTER

baseball writer

George Springer seized a spot in Toronto Blue Jays history when he hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning that sent his team to a 4-3 win over the Seattle Mariners in Game 7 of the AL championship series Springer’s drive to left field Monday night didn’t have quite the same impact as Joe Carter’s homer that gave Toronto the World Series in 1993, or even Dave Winfield’s extra-inning double that helped the Blue Jays edge Atlanta for the 1992 title. But for a hit that occurred outside the World Series, Springer’s was awfully impactful. A stat called championship win probability added (cWPA) — published by Baseball Reference — measures how much a particular play increased or decreased a team’s chance of winning that year’s World Series. That’s based on when it occurred in the game and when that game occurred in the overall context of the season

Springer’s homer increased Toronto’s chance of winning the World Series by 19.73%. It ranks as one of the 10 biggest non-World Series plays since 1903 Here’s the full list: No. 10

Chris Chambliss’ solo homer in the bottom of the ninth to give the New York Yankees a 7-6 win over Kansas City in Game 5 of the 1976 ALCS (cWPA of 18.77%) The LCS was best-of-five before 1985, so this homer by Chambliss was a walk-off in a winner-take-all game It also touched off a complete mob scene as fans invaded the field at Yankee Stadium. Baseball Reference’s cWPA data has Chambliss’ drive just ahead of a similar homer by Aaron Boone of the Yankees in Game 7 of the ALCS 27 years later

No. 9

Cecil Cooper’s two-run single in the seventh that put the Milwaukee Brewers up 4-3 against the California Angels in Game 5 of the 1982 ALCS. (19.66%)

That 4-3 lead held up to give Milwaukee the pennant in a series California led 2-0 at one point The Angels also blew a 3-1 lead in the 1986 ALCS.

No. 8

Springer’s three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh that gave Toronto a 4-3 lead over Seattle in Game 7 of the 2025 ALCS. (19.73%)

Like Cooper’s hit, Springer’s drive turned a deficit into a lead in the seventh inning of a winner-take-all LCS game. Give Springer extra points for erasing a multirun deficit.

No. 7

Manny Trillo’s two-run triple with two outs in the top of the eighth, which gave the Philadelphia Phillies a 7-5 lead against the Houston Astros in Game 5 of the 1980 NLCS. (19.79%)

This two-run lead actually didn’t hold up. Houston tied the game, but the Phillies did eventually win 8-7 in 10. So those two runs were huge.

No. 6

Jack Clark’s three-run homer with two outs in the top of the ninth that gave the St. Louis Cardinals a 7-5 lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game

6 of the 1985 NLCS. (19.83%)

The Dodgers pitched to Clark with first base open and he made them pay

This is the only play on this list that wasn’t in a winner-take-all game, but it sent the Cardinals to the World Series when they were one out from a Game 7.

No. 5

Yadier Molina’s two-run homer in the top of the ninth that gave St. Louis a 3-1 lead over the New York Mets in Game

7 of the 2006 NLCS. (20.71%)

After a spectacular catch by New

York’s Endy Chavez at the wall in left

field earlier in the game, Molina sent this ball well past it. The Cardinals

held off a New York rally in the bottom of the inning to win the pennant

No. 4

Rick Monday’s solo homer in the top of the ninth that gave the Dodgers a 2-1 lead over the Montreal Expos in Game 5 of the 1981 NLCS. (21.18%)

This homer — hit with two outs — ranks slightly ahead of Molina’s oneout drive. Both provided the game’s final scoring.

No. 3

Johnny Bench’s solo homer in the bottom of the ninth for the Cincinnati Reds that tied Game 5 of the 1972 NLCS against Pittsburgh at 3. (22.52%)

The Pirates were three outs from the World Series, but those never came. Bench led off with this opposite-field drive, and Cincinnati would score the pennant-winning run on a wild pitch later that inning.

No. 2

Bobby Thomson’s three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth that gave the New York Giants a 5-4 win over the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 3 of a tiebreaker series for the National League pennant in 1951. (35.56%)

Thomson’s “Shot Heard ‘Round The World” wasn’t technically a postseason play because tiebreaker playoffs have been considered part of the regular season. Still, this was a winner-takeall game for a World Series berth, and Thomson’s team went from being down two runs to winning in one legendary swing.

No. 1

Francisco Cabrera’s two-run single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth that gave the Atlanta Braves a 3-2 win over Pittsburgh in Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS. (36.84%)

Cabrera remains one of baseball’s unlikeliest heroes, having had only 11 plate appearances during the 1992 regular season. He ranks just ahead of Thomson. Although Thomson’s hit erased a bigger deficit, Cabrera’s came with two outs while Thomson’s came with only one.

Seeking a new voice and direction after the Giants missed the playoffs for a fourth straight year, Posey said he wouldn’t rule out anyone in his search for someone with what he called an “obsessive” work ethic and attention to detail.

Posey had also considered his former backup catcher Nick Hundley, who has been working as a special assistant to Texas Rangers general manager Chris Young.

Instead, Posey is taking a route once tapped by the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys with Miami Hurricanes coach Jimmy Johnson in 1989. That worked out with Johnson winning two Super Bowl trophies in 1992 and 1993 in a Hall of Fame career Posey is striving for stability at manager after so much turnover for the franchise in recent years, including Posey taking over as President of Baseball Operations last fall when Farhan Zaidi was fired.

The Giants dismissed manager Bob Melvin af-

Tennessee has reached the College World Series three times with Vitello. He has two Southeastern Conference regular-season titles and a pair of SEC Tournament titles, the last in 2024 Tennessee is finishing up an expansion and renovation of the baseball stadium to meet interest in the program.

Vitello was earning $3 million a year and signed a five-year extension in 2024 that includes a $3 million buyout.

The Tennessee athletic director Danny White congratulated Vitello on the job and said university officials are focused on players and the coaching staff in an “evolving process” while they finalize the next steps.

“We are committed to continuously investing in the program at a championship level across all areas,” White said. “Furthermore, the upcoming $109 million renovation of Lindsey Nelson Stadium will transform it into one of the premier baseball venues.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE

Cutcook time, notflavor, by using handytip

BY LINDAGASSENHEIMER Tribune News Service (TNS)

Ilike teriyaki pork, but it usually needs time for the meat tomarinate in the sauce. Using astore-bought teriyaki sauceand this easycooking method,I was able to have this meal ready in less than 10 minutes.

The steamed Chinese noodles are partially cooked and take only aminute to cook in boiling water.They areavailable in most supermarkets. If difficult to find, use any type of thin pastaand follow package cooking instructions.

Teriyaki GlazedPork Yields 2servings. Recipe is by Linda Gassenheimer ¾pound

1. Cutporktenderloin into ½-inchslices andpress them to about ¼ inch thickwith theflat side of aspatula.

2. Heat amedium-sizenonstick skillet overmedium-high heat andspray with vegetable oil spray

3. Add pork and saute2minutes per side. Add the teriyaki sauce and snow peas to the skillet. Mix well. Continue to cook,spooningthe sauce over pork slices as they cook. Ameat thermometer should read 145 F.

4. Divide in half and place ontwo dinner plates. Sprinkle sliced scallions and sesame seeds on top.

NUTRITION INFO PER SERVING: 275calories (27 percent from fat), 8.2 gfat (1.7 gsaturated, 3.6 gmonounsaturated), 108 mg cholesterol, 39.4 gprotein, 9.9 gcarbohydrates, 2.4 gfiber,416 mg sodium.

Chinese Noodles

Yields 2servings. Recipe is by Linda Gassenheimer

¼pound fresh or steamed Chinese noodles 2teaspoons sesame oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1, Fillamedium-size pot three quarters full of water and bring to aboil over high heat.

2. Add noodles to boilingwater.Cook1 minute or accordingtopackageinstructions.

3. Drain, return to pot and add oil and salt and pepper to taste.

4. Divide in half and place on the dinner plates with the pork.

NUTRITION INFO PER SERVING: 251calories (19 percent from fat), 5.4 gfat (0.8 gsaturated, 1.9 gmonounsaturated), no cholesterol, 7.4 gprotein, 42.6 gcarbohydrates, 1.8gfiber,3mgsodium.

Baconmakes everything better,even this sandwich

BY BETH DOOLEY

The Minnesota Star Tribune (TNS)

The classic BLTisasourceofdelight, comfort and sustenance. Thecombination of sweet-tart tomato, crisp-rich bacon, crunchylettuce and lush mayo defines a great sandwich with universal appeal. The BLTwas the first meal Ilearned to make formyself with my cousin Jack after surfing at the New Jersey shore. Sometimesinour fierce, sunburned hungers,

ä See BACON, page 2D

Williams TIP OF THE TONGUE

thought that it would be fun to mix it up at thetable alittle bit. We still want easy dishes, but there is no reason not to also make them innovative and tasty Familiar doesn’thave to be boring. Sweet potatoes are delicious and nutritious. An elegant and easy dish to makewith regular potatoes is Sweet Potatoes Anna. Ithought that such a simple preparation would allow the sweet potato flavor to shine through. It is also avisually lovely dish. Give it atry now.You may like it enough to serve it as the traditional sweet potatocontribution to your Thanksgiving table. Frittedda is one of my

LemonCookies

Makes 24 cookies.

aSicilianfrittedda and lemoncookies bring theflavorfor fall ä See BRIGHT, page 2D

on

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Please the butterand sugartogether in abowl of an electric mixer and cream together on medium speed. This should take 5minutes or until the mixture lightensin color.Add the lemon zest and mix for 30 additional seconds.

3. Addthe lemon juice and egg. Beat together on medium for 3to5 minutes, until completely incorporated and fluffy

4. In aseparate bowl, mix together theflour,baking soda, salt andsugar. Be sure that every-

thingiscompletelydistributed throughout the mixture.Add this mixture to the wet ingredients 1 3 at atime, being careful to fully incorporate thedry ingredients. Do not overmix. This step can be done by hand.

5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate foratleast an hour

6. Useacookie scoop to scoop out dough. Roll each cookie ball in the sugar on the plate and then placethe ball on asiliconemat on acookiesheet.Theyshould be 2-3 inches apart. Place the cookie sheet into the preheated oven. Cook for12minutes. The cookies should be golden on the edges. Remove from the oven andallowtorest for5 minutes. Then remove them from the silicone mat with aspatula and allow to cool on awire rack.

7. If you have many pans to bake, be sure to place the waiting dough back into the refrigerator while cookies are baking.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER Lemon cookies

Potatoes Anna, Sicilian Frittedda

TNS PHOTO By LINDAGASSENHEIMER

Teriyaki Glazed Pork with Chinese Noodles

Therecan only be one‘Nonna’ around

Dear Miss Manners: My ex-husband and Ihave been divorcedfor over 20 years. We see each other at familyfunctions and are very cordial and polite with each other,as is his girlfriend, who also attends these events. Neither of us has remarried. He has been in arelationship with this female for many years, but they don’tlive together

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

When our sons had their first babies, my ex wantedthe family to refer to his girlfriend as Nonna (“grandmother”). Our sons

By The Associated Press

immediately shut that idea down, stating that their children already have agrandmother,and thatthey would refer to the girlfriend by her first name. This was out of respect for me, and also to avoid confusing the children. Butrecently,while visiting oneofmysons, my daughter-in-law and Iwere having aconversation about my 9-year-old grandson. She was relaying something that my grandson had said about hisgrandfather’sgirlfriend, and referred to heras“Nonna.”

TODAYINHISTORY

the country,ending theuprising on Nov.4

Immediately,Iasked, “Is he referring to her as Nonna now?” He never had before, nor had anyone else in thefamily.She replied, “Yes.”

Iimmediately said that Iwas not comfortable withthat, and that it really bothered me. The girlfriend can be thesubstitute Nonna after Idie (which I’m not planning on doing anytimesoon).

Am Iwrong in feeling that my grandchildren already have a grandmother,and that the title should not be shared withtheir grandfather’sgirlfriend?

Gentlereader: How you feel about

it is not Miss Manners’ department. Nor is basic biology,though she cannot help noticing that even if you were not divorced, your grandchildren would have had to grapple with the“confusion” of having two grandmothers, assuming their mothers’ mothers were still alive. Etiquette can comment on some of the terms being used (or misused).Your ex-husband and his girlfriend are outside of normal usage in applying “grandmother” to anonresident nonrelative just as you are outside of normal usage in applying “cordial” to a

relationship with someone you refer to as “this female.” Had your ex remarried, his then-wifecould have claim to the title of grandmother.But even without that, you have no right to dictate what the grandchildren call anyone other than yourself

Sendquestions to Miss Manners at herwebsite, www missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mailtoMiss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO 64106.

Today is Thursday,Oct. 23, the 296th day of 2025. There are 69 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On Oct. 23, 1983, 241 U.S. service members, most of them Marines, were killed in asuicide truck-bombing at theU.S.Marine Corps barracks at Beirut International Airport in Lebanon, while anear-simultaneousattack on French barracks in Beirut killed 58 paratroopers. Also on this date:

In 1915, an estimated 25,000 women marched on FifthAvenue in NewYorkCity in support of women’ssuffrage.

In 1942, during World WarII, Britain launched amajor offensive against Axis forces at El Alamein in Egypt, resultinginan Allied forces victory In 1944, the Battle of Leyte Gulf began; the largestnaval battle of World WarIIresulted in amajor Allied victory against Japanese forces, paving theway for the retaking of the Philippines. In 1956, astudent-sparked revolt against Hungary’sCommunist rule began; as the revolution spread, Soviet forces entered

In 1987, the U.S.Senate rejected theSupreme Court nomination of Robert H. Bork, 58-42. In 1989, 23 people were killed in an explosionataPhillips Petroleum chemical complex in Pasadena,Texas

In 1995,a Houston jury convicted Yolanda Saldivarofmurdering Tejano singing star Selena; Saldivarwas sentencedtolife in prison with the possibilityofparoleand remains in prison. In 2001, Applereleased the iPod. An estimated 450 million iPod devicesweresold before the line was discontinuedin2022.

Today’sbirthdays: Film director Philip Kaufman is 89. Advocate and humanitarian Graça Machel is 80. Filmdirector Ang Lee is 71. Jazz singer Dianne Reeves is 69. Country singer Dwight Yoakam is 69. Activist and philanthropist Martin Luther King IIIis68. Author and commentator Michael Eric Dyson is 67. Film directorSam Raimi is 66. Comedic musician “Weird Al” Yankovicis66. Rock musician Robert Trujillo (Metallica) is 61. Racing driver and paracyclist Alex Zanardi is 59. CNN medical reporter Dr.Sanjay Gupta is 56.

Strips of crispybaconsizzle on

Bacon, Brie and Pear Baguette Sandwich

Serves4to6.Recipe is from BethDooley.The baguette makesa sturdy base forthese rich, flavorful ingredients; toastedsourdough sliceswillalsoworkwell. We’ve added asmear of orange marmalade forsweettang, butthat’soptional. Slice thesandwich into halves or quarters for appetizers. They’ll hold up for aday when made ahead andcovered.

1(18-inch to 24-inch) baguette,sliced on the diagonal 1to2tablespoons orangemarmalade, optional 4to6ounces brie cheese, slicedthin 1largepear,peeled, cored and sliced thin 8slices cooked bacon (see Cooking Tip)

1. Toast the baguette slices. Spread each slice with the marmalade.

2. On half of thebaguette slices, arrange the brie on one of the sides spread with marmalade, then placethe slicedpearonthe brie, and place the bacon on top of thebrie. 3. Place theremaining baguette slices, marmalade side down, on top of thebacon. Cut and serve. COOKINGTIP: The best way to cook baconisinthe oven(less spatter and cleanup).Preheat the oven to 400 Fand line abakingsheet with enough aluminum foilto hang overthe sides of the pan. Arrangethe baconslices over the aluminum foil sothey do not touch.Bakeuntil crisp, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the sheet panand using tongs, lift thebacon to set on apaper-towel lined plate to drain.

BACON

Continued from page1D

we’d swap out the bacon for potato chips. We’d slice thick our grandmother’sgarden tomatoes, add iceberg lettuce, and spread Hellman’sonpuffy white bread, then chase it all down with a frosty bottle of Coke. Now that we’re past tomato season, the quest is on for a sandwich with autumn appeal. Start with great bread with slices you’d like to enjoy on their own. Toasting can improve the flavor and texture if it’sindanger of becoming soggy.Choose ingredients with contrasting textures and tastes. How about sharp cheddar cheese, bacon and snappy apples griddled to agolden fare-thee-well? Or funky brie,

bacon and mellow sweet pear on atoasted baguette?

Thethrough line for any great sandwich is bacon —savory and chewy with just enough crunch. Come winter,I’lllean into slices of cooked beets and bacon with aswipeofchevre on multigrain breadorslices of roast butternut squash andbacon with adrizzle of hot honey on rye.

Alittle well-cooked bacon does awholelot of good.Look for bacon with fat evenly distributed through eachstrip. Thick sliceshold uptocooking and won’tcrumble as youbuild the sandwich. Among thedifferent cookingmethods, Iprefer sheetpanbaking foreasycleanup especially when multiple slices areinvolved (see thecooking tip above). Salty andsucculent, bacon is thesecret to theperfect handheldmeal.

Serves 4to6

3to4medium sweet potatoes

1cup buttermilk

1stick butter,melted

Saltand pepper to taste

½cup grated Parmesan cheese or 4 ounces goat cheese

1. Butter atart pan that is 9inches across with aremovable bottom. Preheat the oven to 325 F.

2. Slice the sweet potatoes into circles on amandolin. (If you do nothaveamandolin,you can cut the sweet potatoes into very thin slices or use apotato peeler to cut

Serves 4to6

¼cup extravirgin olive oil

4or5scallions, chopped, white and green parts

5clovesgarlic, minced

8ounces frozen or fresh shelledpeas (defrosted and drained)

8ounces frozen or fresh babyfavabeans (or babylimas, defrosted and drained)

12-16 ounces frozen artichokehearts or bottoms (defrosted and drained)

Fennel fronds (ordillormint), roughly chopped to make1cup (you can use a combination)

Saltand pepper

Zest of 2lemons Juice of 2lemons

2tablespoons applecider vinegar

1⁄8 cup chopped capers for garnish

1. Addthe olive oil to the pan and heat over medium until it shimmers. Add thescallions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for4 minutes. Add the peas,fava beans and artichokes. Cook for 10 minutes

BRIGHT

Continuedfrom page1D

favorite Sicilian dishes, and there are certainly Sicilian influences everywhere in New Orleans. The salad is traditionally made in the springtimewhen fresh baby fava beans are available. Butartichokes, beans and peas freeze very well, without aloss of texture. So Isuggest that you use frozen vegetables tomake a frittedda that will wake up your taste buds, at the sametime as it is easy to prepare. My mother used to makeitfor me, starting withraw artichokes as aspecial treat when Iwas

Sweet Potatoes Anna

thin slices. Trytomakethe slices uniform.(Ijust wash my sweet potatoes. Youmay decide to peel them. That is up to you.)

3. As you accumulate apile of potato slices, toss them in abowl with thebuttermilk. Keep slicinguntil you have sliced all the sweet potatoes. (Ifyou feel that you need more buttermilk, addsometothe bowl.)

4. Take the prepared pan and placethe first sliceasclose to the edge of the pan as possible, laying it flat. Overlap the slices into concentric circles from the outside to the center.You may need to place asliceinthe middle of the pan.

With apastry brush, brush butter on the slices. Sprinkle lightly with saltand pepper. Continue to layer the potatoes this way until all the potato slices are used. (Ifyou have too many slices for the pan, you’ll find that they makeexcellent fried potato chips.)

5. Sprinkle the top of the dish with Parmesan cheese or break up the goat cheese into half-inch pieces and dot the top with them

6. Bake for 30 minutes. If the cheeseisnot browned, add5 minutes and keep checking until the top is slightly crisp and the cheese is browned.

2. Add half of theherbs, salt, pepper and zest and stir.Add the lemonjuice.Cook for5 minutes. Addthe apple cider vinegar.Cook for3 minutes moreoruntil the liquidisalmost evaporated. Stir to

growing up. This dish reminds me of her,but without the hard work. Youcan choose to use frozen artichoke hearts or bottoms. Just makesure that you defrost and drain theartichoke before you cook it. It is agood idea to defrost and drain the peas and the baby favas, too. If you cannot find either fresh or frozen favas, baby limas make agood substitute. Use good olive oil, not just any vegetable oil. This dish can elevate thewhole table. These lemon cookies are very lemony.That flavor is intensified by juice and zest. Even if you aren’thungry anymore, the intense flavor of lemon is awelcome freshness at the end of a meal.

keep from sticking. Serveasaside dish garnished with the remaining fresh, chopped herbs and capers. This dish is particularly delicious served tossed into pearl couscous.

Besides dessert, these cookies makeagreat snack. Keepthem in an airtight container,but don’t expect they will last long. They are good to add to apacked school lunch or forasnack with acup of coffee at work. Youcan vary them by using limes or oranges instead. Ireally like them with blood oranges. Let me know how they turn out. Ilove to hear from you.

Liz Williams is founderofthe Southern Food &Beverage Museum in NewOrleans. Listen to “Tip of theTongue,”Liz’s podcastabout food, drink and culture, wherever you hear podcasts.Email Liz at lizwillia@ gmail.com.

Sicilian Frittedda

DREAMSTME/TNS PHOTO

acast-iron skillet

LIBRA (sept.23-oct. 23) Payattention to domestic issues and make changes to offset anynegativityyou face at home. Learn from past mistakes and turna wrong into aright.Honesty is the way to victory andnew beginnings.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Give alittle, take alittle, and watch your life turn into amasterpiece. Don't deny yourself stardom when it's your turntoshine. Take achance on yourself, instead of buying into someone else'sdreams, hopes andwishes.

sAGIttARIus (nov.23-Dec. 21) Achange of heart can alter your perspective regarding shared expensesorhow you earnyourliving. Listen attentively, and you'll gain insight into how to handle matters.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Take bettercare of yourself physically.Pace yourself and avoid excess. The help you offer others must not be excessive and should get you something in return. Take your time; aprematuredecision will fall short.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Keep your thoughts and intentions to yourself. Someone will pry into your life, background or qualifications. It's best to isolate yourself if you want to get things done

PIscEs (Feb.20-March 20) Take the initiative and make plans to socialize, participate andlearn all you can. Put your best foot forward, learn as you go and make things happen. Invest time and money in yourself and your future.

ARIEs (March 21-April19) The help you offer otherswill positionyou for advancement. Dealing with legal, institutional or secret matterswill put your mind at ease and bringyou one step closer to your goal.

tAuRus (April20-May 20) Abig move will lead to achange in direction or a chance to trysomething new and exciting. It's up to you to seek out opportunities and pursue the goals that excite you the most.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Turn your ideas into somethingtangible.Join interest groups,and you'llconnect withsomeone who can help youexpand your dreams. Letyour charmlead the way.

cAncER(June 21-July 22) Apply foranew position. Diversify how you utilize your skills, experience and knowledge, and you will discover new opportunities that can help you make moremoney. LEo (July23-Aug. 22) Take greater interest in what's going on behind closed doors. Pay attention to domestic issues and partnerships. Make your way forward with love and compassion.

VIRGo (Aug.23-sept. 22) It'sall in how youapproachothers. Communication is the key to getting things done on time and perfectly. Resolve and establish financial matters, contracts and investments

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is notbasedonscientific fact. ©2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By

Andrews McMeel Syndication

FAMILYCIrCUS

Cipher cryptograms are created fromquotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipherstands foranother

CeLebrItY CIpher

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject is to place thenumbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains thesame number only once. Thedifficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

By PHILLIP ALDER

Sydney J. Harris, aformer journalist in Chicago, said, “Our dilemma is that we hate change and love it at the same time;what we really want is for things to remain the same but get better.”

You are often facedwith adilemma at the bridge table.Perhaps, should you winthistrickorloseit?That’sonereason whyweloveandhatethisgame.Theway outofadilemma,ofcourse, is to analyze logically. In thisdeal,South blasts into sixspades.AfterWestleadsthediamond king, what should declarer do?

North’s two-no-trump responseover West’s takeout double guaranteed four or more spades and at least game-invitational values: 10-plus support points and eight or fewer losers. South’s sensible leap to thesmall slam kept the defenders in thedark.Notethataclub lead would have defeated six spades, and a slow, tortuous auction might have highlightedthat.

Southisfaced with two losers: one heart andone club.But he can get home by putting the opponent with the heart ace in adilemma. Whichopponent will that be?

Basedonthe bidding, it is more likely to be West than East. Declarer must ruff the opening lead in his hand. Then he drawstrumps and leads hisheart five. What does West do?

If he wins with his ace, Southhas 12 tricksviasevenspades,threehearts,one diamond and oneclub. Alternatively, if Westplays low,declarer wins with dummy’s jack anddiscards his heart king on the diamond ace. Thenheclaims, conceding one club and ruffing his other two clubs on the board.

©2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By AndrewsMcMeel Syndication

Each Wuzzle is aword riddlewhich creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying,

Previous answers:

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must

Averagemark

today’s thought “Except theLordbuild thehouse, they labor in vain that build it: except theLordkeep thecity, thewatchman wakes but in vain.” Psalms 127:1

loCKhorNs

Ponderthis.

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard

PUBLIC NOTICE -

COUNCIL–EMERGENCYMEETING

OF BAKER PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE STATEOFLOUISIANA COUNCILCHAMBERS 3325 GROOMROAD, BAKER, LOUISIANA70714 www.youtube.com/ @bakerforward October21, 20258:00 a.m.

TheCityCouncil of the City of Baker, Louisiana, metinanemergency sessiononOctober 21, 2025, with thefollowing membersinattendance at themeeting: MAYOR DarnellWaites

COUNCILMEMBERS DesireeCollins Rochelle Dunn Dr.Charles Vincent Robert Young ABSENT Cedric Murphy CALL TO ORDER –Mayor Waites presided Theinvocationwas given by CouncilMember Dunn ThePledgeofAllegiance wasled by CouncilMem‐berVincent NEWBUSINESS 1. EmergencyOrdinance –Introduce Ordinance 2025-21, an ordinanceto fixthe rate of taxation andlevya taxtodefray expenseoroperation of city government forall generalpurposesfor the year 2025 on alltaxable property within thecor‐porate limits of theCity of Baker, Louisiana (Mayor) Discussion washeldre‐gardingthe circum‐stancesresulting in the need forintroduction and adoption of Ordinance 2025-21.

Themotionwas made by CouncilMemberDunn seconded by Council Member Collinstointroduce Ordi‐nance2025-21.

Themayor called for public comments or questions.

Vote wascalledfor YEAS:Collins,Dunn,Vin‐cent,Young NAYS:None ABSENT:Murphy ABSTAIN: None Themotionpassedwith avoteof4-0

PUBLIC HEARING

1. EmergencyOrdinance –Adopt Ordinance202521, an ordinanceto fix therateoftaxationand levy atax to defray ex‐penseoroperation of city government forall generalpurposesfor the year 2025 on alltaxable property within thecor‐porate limits of theCity of Baker, Louisiana (Mayor) Public hearingwas held Themotionwas made by CouncilMemberDunn seconded by Council Member Young to adoptOrdi‐nance2025-21.

Themayor called for public comments or questions.

Vote wascalledfor YEAS:Collins,Dunn,Vin‐cent,Young NAYS:None ABSENT:Murphy ABSTAIN: None Themotionpassedwith avoteof4-0

ADJOURN Themotionwas made by CouncilMemberVincent seconded by Council Member Dunn to adjourn.

Themayor called for public comments or questions.

Vote wascalledfor YEAS:Collins,Dunn,Vin‐cent,Young NAYS:None ABSENT:Murphy ABSTAIN: None

Themotionpassedwith avoteof4-0

CITY OF BAKER PARISH OF EAST BATONROUGE STATEOFLOUISIANA I, Angela Canady Wall certifythatI am Clerkof theCouncil forthe City of Baker, Louisiana, and that theabove andfore‐goingisa copy of the minutesofanemergency meetingofthe Council forthe City of Baker, LouisianaheldonOcto‐ber21, 2025. Angela Canady Wall LCMC ClerkofCouncil 163901-oct23-1t $55.64

NOTICENOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING City of Baker, Louisiana In accordance with the Open Meetings Lawat R.S. 42:26,etseq TheMayor andCouncil of theCityofBaker Louisiana, will meet on October28, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. at theBaker City Hall in theCouncil Cham‐bers,3325 GroomRoad, Baker, Louisiana70714 andvia www.youtube. com/@bakerforward, at which time apublic meetingwillbeheldfor adoption of thefollow‐ing: Ordinance2025-6, regula‐tionsregarding automo‐bile repair work andoil changesinresidential andsubdivision areas andtoprovide forother matters

OF BAKER, LOUISIANA TheMayor andCouncil of theCityofBaker Louisianamet in regular sessioninCouncil Cham‐bers at 3325 GroomRoad in Baker, LA,Tuesday,the 21st dayofOctober 2025, andwitha proper quo‐rumbeing thereand then in attendance,declared that apublichearing was in sessiontoconsider theadoptionofthe fol‐lowing ordinance: WHEREAS, this ordi‐nancewas introduced on October21, 2025, and after proper notification to thepublic, apublic meetingwas scheduled to be held on October21, 2025. WHEREAS,under the provisions of ArticleVI, Section26(B) of theCon‐stitutionofthe Stateof Louisianaof1974, and otherconstitutionaland statutoryauthority,the voters previously ap‐proved an ad valorem property taxauthorized up to 7.0mills

WHEREAS,the maxi‐mummillage rate is cur‐rently 5.76 millsbut the levied rate sincethe last taxreassessment has been at 5.27 mills.

NOWTHEREFORE,BEIT ORDAINED by theMayor andCouncil of theCityof Baker, Parish of East BatonRouge,State of Louisiana, as follows, to wit:

SECTION1:IMPOSITION Pursuant to theauthority previously grantedby thevoterstodefraythe operationalexpensesof theCityofBaker,State of Louisiana, forall general purposes,anadvalorem taxonall taxableprop‐erty,realand personal within thecorporate lim‐itsand boundaries of the City of Baker, Louisiana is hereby fixedand levied at themaximum millageof5.27mills on theproperty’sassessed valuationindicated on thelatesttax rollspro‐videdbythe TaxAsses‐sorofEastBaton Rouge parish

SECTION2:NOTICEAND COLLECTION TheEastBaton Rouge Parish TaxAssessor is hereby empowered, au‐thorized anddirectedto enterthe said taxonthe TaxRollfor theyear2025, andthe SheriffofEast BatonRouge Parish StateofLouisiana,is hereby fully authorized to collectthe same

SECTION3:SEVERABIL‐ITY If anyormoreofthe pro‐visionsofthisOrdinance shallfor anyreasonbe considered illegalorin‐valid, such illegality or invalidity shallnot affect anyother provisionof this Ordinance, butthis Ordinanceshall be con‐structed andenforcedas if such illegalorinvalid provisionhad notbeen containedherein. Any constitutional or statu‐tory provisionenacted afterthe date of this Or‐dinancewhich validates or makeslegal anyprovi‐sion of this Ordinance whichwould notother‐wise be valid or legal, shallbedeemedtoapply in this Ordinance.

SECTION4:CONFLICT‐INGORDINANCES Allordinancesorparts thereof, in conflicthere‐with areherebyre‐pealed BE IT ALSO FURTHEROR‐DAINED that theClerk of Councilfor theCityof Baker, Louisianashall forwardone certified copy of this ordinanceto each theAssessor of East BatonRouge Parish andthe SheriffofEast BatonRouge Parish Louisiana.

This ordinancehaving been submittedto a vote;the vote thereon wasrecordedasfollows: YEAS:Collins,Dunn,Vin‐cent,Young NAYS:None ABSENT:Murphy ABSTAIN: None

This ordinancewas pre‐sented andintroduced on October21, 2025, at an emergencymeeting of theBaker City Council held in theCouncil cham‐bers in Baker, Louisiana. Andthe ordinancewas declared adoptedonthis the21st of October, 2025 at theregular meetingof theBaker City Council held in theCouncil cham‐bers in Baker, Louisiana. ATTEST: /s/Angela Canady Wall, LCMC ClerkofCouncil /s/DarnellWaites, Mayor 163906-oct23-1t $63.73

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

VideoSurveillance Enhancements AI-powered real-time color night visionsoftware (“Project”)

The PORT of South Louisiana (“PORT”) is soliciting competitive proposals from qualified responsible Proposersfor Video Surveillance Enhancements -AI-powered real-time colornight vision software.PORT will receivesealedproposals forthat purpose,until November 10, 2025, by 1:00 p.m. CentralStandardTime(CST),( Submission Deadline”) Proposalsnot received by PORT as of theSubmission Deadline will not beconsidered responsiveand will not be opened. Proposals not meeting specified deliveryand methods of submittalwill not be considered responsiveand will not be opened. Proposals received viafacsimile(fax), or electronicmail(email) shall not be considered. PORT reserves theright to extend theSubmission Deadline by issuinganAddendum.Proposers shall refertothe RFP documents fordetaileddeliverables.

Thepurpose of this RFP is to solicitcompetitiveproposals forqualified

ProposerstoPurchase, Install and Configureexisting cameras with Video SurveillanceEnhancements AI -poweredrealtimecolornight vision software,for thePORT. This must be shareable with up to forty (40) partner agencies.

Port of South Louisiana has beenawarded Port SecurityGrant Number

EMW-2024-PU-05225-2 from theDepartment of Homeland Security (“DHS”) Federal Emergency ManagementAgency(“FEMA”)Port Security GrantProgram (“PSGP”)for FY2024 whichwill partially be funding the products and services to be provided by Proposer to PORT pursuant to this RFP.Proposer will complywith allapplicable local, state, andfederal aw,regulations, executiveorders, FEMApolicies,procedures,directives andthe following:

•2 CFR Part 200 –Uniform AdministrativeRequirements, Cost Principles, and AuditRequirementsfor Federal Awards,

•AppendixIItoPart200 –Contract Provisions for Non-Federal Entity Contracts UnderFederal Awards

•FEMAProcurement DisasterAssistance Team (PDAT) FIELD MANUAL

•The DepartmentofHomeland Security(DHS) Notice of Funding

Opportunity(NOFO) Fiscal Year 2024 Port SecurityGrant Program | FEMA.gov

•FiscalYear2024 Preparedness Grants Manual (fema.gov)

•GPD IB No. 400 FEMA’s Implementationof2C.F.R. Part200, the Uniform AdministrativeRequirements, CostPrinciples, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (“Super Circular”or“Omni Circular”

•Section 889(b) of theJohn S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act forFiscalYear2019 (FY 2019 NDAA), Pub. L. No. 115-232 (2018), as implemented through2C.F.R. §200.216 and FEMA Policy #405-143-1, Prohibitions on Expending FEMA Award

•Funds forCovered TelecommunicationsEquipment or Services (Interim)applies to this RFP

•ListofEquipment and Services Covered by Section 2ofthe Security and Trusted CommunicationsNetwork Act

•FEMAInterim Policy #207-22-0001- Build America, Buy America Act (BABAA)

Proposalsare subjecttoall terms, conditions,and provisions of this document, including AffirmativeAction, EqualEmployment Opportunity and Build America Buy America Act (BABAA) regulations. Proposersshall read and understandthe requirements of this RFP

Theinformation contained in this proposal contains Sensitive Security Information as identified in 49 CFR Part15–Protection of Sensitive Security Information. Therefore,the PORTrequiresaMutual NonDisclosureAgreement (MNDA)tobeexecuted prior to receivingthe RFP

Proposer’smay pick up acopyofthe MNDA at thePORT’sAdministrative Office at 1720 LouisianaHighway 44, Reserve,LA70084, download the MNDAfromwww.centralbidding.comorrequest acopyatbids@portsl comonorbefore October 23, 2025 at 4:00 p.m. CST ThePortwill forwardthe RFP and any Addendumsuponreceipt of fully executed MNDA.PORTreserves theright to modifyall or any of thesame at any time prior to theSubmission Deadline throughanAddendum. AProposer will be selected through aqualification-basedselection process. Proposersinterested in providing services must submit a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ)that

and

selection process

Evaluation of submittedproposals will be basedonthe following criteria: No. Points Criteria Description 140 Overall ExperienceofCompanyand Demonstrated Results Ourevaluation will include an assessment of the historyofyourcompany,yourexperience as it relates to therequirementswithin this RFP, evidence of past performance, quality andrelevance of past work, references, andrelated items. 220 Abilitytomeet PORTS schedule forexpeditiously completing assignments. Time is of theessencetopurchaseand install this equipment. Is theProposer able to order andsupply equipment on or before June 19,2026 330 CostEffectiveness of Price Quotation Effective andefficientdelivery of quality services as well as equipment is demonstrated in relation to the budgetallocation. Theallocation is reasonable and appropriate 410 CompletenessofProposaland adherence to RFP Instructions

All proposals must be made in theform andonthe forms (and contain all certificates, documentation, andinformation) requiredbythe RFP Documents. Anyproposal that does notfully complywith anyrequirement of theRFP Documentswill be considerednon-responsive,and PORT shallbeentitledtorejectthe proposal. Portfurther reservesit’sright to rejectany andall proposals at anytime. PORTreservesthe righttowaive anyminor informality or mere irregularity contained in anyproposal. No proposal will be construedtobebinding on PORTunless (i) a Contract first hasbeenawarded by its BoardofCommissioners at a public meeting, (ii) theContracthas beendulyexecuted by each of the Contractor andPORT, and(iii) all conditions applicable to such award of theContractand as otherwise maybeset forth in theContract Documents have been fully satisfied.

Sealed proposals must be received with all required submittals as stated in theRFP,nolater than theSubmission Deadline. Sealed Proposals may be deliveredto1720Louisiana Highway Reserve,Louisiana 70084or www.centralbidding.com on or beforethe Submission Deadline.

A. Theproposal package consists of two (2)sealed packages. Both sealed packages should be submittedonline at www centralbidding.com or delivered to thePORT’sAdministrative Office B. The first sealed package should contain an original andtwo (2) bound, full, complete,and exact copiesofthe Technical Proposal andanelectronic proposal via aFlash Drive in asealed opaque envelope. Thepackage should be clearly labeled “Technical Proposal for -Video Surveillance Enhancements -AI-powered real-time color nightvision software Project#EMW-2024PU-05225-2” andidentify thenameand address of theProposer C. Thesecondsealed package should contain an original andone (1)full, complete, exact copy of theCost Proposal. Thepackage should be clearly labeled –“CostProposal for VideoSurveillance Enhancements -AI-powered real-time color nightvision software Project# EMW-2024-PU-05225-2.” All copiesand all electronic media shall be identical to theProposer’shardcopy,original submission.Incase of adiscrepancy,the hard copy shallgovern. Requestsfor Information (RFI) regarding anyquestionsorrequests for clarificationsregardingthisRequest for Proposals, Proposers must submit awritten request for information on or before October 27,2025, by 4:00 p.m.

By: Mr.Brian Cox, InterimExecutive Director/CEO Dates